2023 AL Rookie of the Year odds: Astros' Hunter Brown could step up in big way after Lance McCullers' injury

Are you holding an early ticket on Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown to win American League Rookie of the Year honors? His chances of winning likely got better today with the news that fellow Houston hurler Lance McCullers won't be ready to go at the start of the regular season due to a forearm issue. That opens the door for Brown to take his rotation spot, and Brown is now a +800 third-favorite at DraftKings to win AL Rookie of the Year.

McCullers is one of the better pitchers in the AL when healthy, but was limited to just eight regular-season (and three postseason) starts last year due to a forearm strain suffered in the 2021 ALDS. McCullers was 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his eight regular-season starts last year and had a 5.87 ERA in 15.1 playoff innings.

It marked the second time in four years that McCullers missed substantial time due to an arm injury. He missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2018. McCullers is currently +3000 at DK to win the Cy Young. The good news is an MRI revealed no structural damage, but a forearm injury is always hugely concerning, particularly when considering McCullers' injury history in that area.

"I've been a little bit upset. I was really looking forward to a great start to the camp and great start to the season. Any time this happens, it's very frustrating for me and the team and the fanbase," McCullers said of this setback.

The Astros lost reigning Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to the Mets in free agency this winter and didn't replace him with another free agent, opting instead to rely on the team's stellar pitching depth. Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy should be the first four in the rotation, with Brown now likely slotting in at No. 5.

MLB.com ranks the 24-year-old Brown as the No. 43 overall prospect in the sport. He was a 2019 fifth-round pick out of Wayne State University (near Detroit). The Triple-A Pacific Coast League is considered very hitter-friendly, but Brown was spectacular at that level in 2022. He would have led the league in ERA (2.55), opponent batting average (.186) and strikeout rate (11.4 per nine innings) if he hadn't fallen short of qualifying because the Astros called him up in September.

Brown only pitched 20.1 regular-season innings for Houston and thus easily kept his 2023 rookie status. He was 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. In three playoff games, he didn't get a decision with zero runs allowed and two hits in 3.2 innings.

Houston opens spring training action Saturday vs. the Mets and the regular season March 30 vs. the White Sox. If Brown does make the rotation as the No. 5 and there are no skipped starts, etc., he theoretically would get the call on April 3 at home vs. Detroit.

The last Astro to win AL Rookie of the Year was Yordan Alvarez in 2019.