The Houston Astros got one back on the Milwaukee Brewers in game two of their three-game series on Saturday, taking down the Brew Crew by the final score of 9-2. Houston continues to build momentum on their journey back to the top of the AL West division, now sitting just 3.5 games out of first.

In what feels like perfect timing for the franchise, several key injured players are making massive steps forward to returning to the Astros this summer. After a rough start, the product on the field is much better and it’s likely to improve with a handful of familiar faces coming back to join the fight.

Cristian Javier Update

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier is taking the next step in his rehab, now scheduled to face hitters in a rehab assignment. Javier will pitch for Double-A Corpus Christi on Wednesday, hopefully meaning his return is set for mid-June.

Javier has been out since April 10, and the Astros’ starting rotation has felt his absence. While he might not be the ace of the staff, he’s come up clutch several times in his career for Houston and is an experienced arm to trust, handing him the ball every five days.

To this point in his career, Javier holds a 3.81 lifetime ERA, despite holding an ERA over 12 through 9.1 innings of work in 2026.

Hunter Brown Update

Hunter Brown will pitch on Thursday in El Paso with Triple-A Sugar Land, according to Rome via X (formerly Twitter). If the Astros can get Brown back before the end of June, as he’s predicted to, the competition in the AL West is bound to turn.

Brown has been the perfect pitcher for the Astros. Finishing in third place in AL Cy Young Award voting last season and surpassing 200 strikeouts in 2025, Brown is the true ace for a Houston franchise looking to keep its winning ways alive.

Josh Hader Update

This update is the most exciting for Astros fans, as Rome revealed that closing pitcher Josh Hader is scheduled to be activated on Tuesday. He finished his rehab assignment on May 28 with the Triple-A crew and is likely to be activated as soon as he’s able to be.

Hader is still at the top of his game and holds every edge over his opponents at the plate. Earning himself a 2.05 ERA in 2025, the Astros need some lights-out stuff from him when he returns, just to fuel his competitive nature.