Astros fans are finding out what Pirates already knew about Mike Burrows

The Houston Astros believed they were acquiring a future rotation pillar when they landed Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates during the offseason. Half a season later, they are instead confronting the same uncertainty that followed Burrows throughout his rise in Pittsburgh’s organization.

Houston placed Burrows on the 15-day injured list with right elbow neuritis, retroactive to July 7, nullifying the option that initially sent him to Triple-A Sugar Land prior to the All-Star break. The injury arrived after a miserable opening stretch with the Astros in which Burrows posted a 5.99 ERA, surrendered 21 home runs and was briefly moved to the bullpen before being demoted.

The performance concerns may be new in their severity, but the durability concerns are not. Burrows missed time with an oblique injury in 2021 and a shoulder issue in 2022 before his development was derailed by the most significant setback of his career. After making only two starts for Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023, he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed nearly 14 months of game action as a result.

He returned during the 2024 season, but his recovery wasn't entirely linear as Pittsburgh carefully rebuilt his workload.

Former Pirates pitcher Mike Burrows hits another injury roadblock in rough first season with Astros

Burrows' injury history didn't mean Burrows was destined to get hurt again, nor does elbow neuritis automatically signal another major procedure. It did, however, make him a risky pitcher to label as a dependable long-term rotation piece.

Pittsburgh understood that Burrows possessed legitimate upside, including a breaking ball that once made him one of the organization’s more intriguing pitching prospects. The Pirates also understood that projecting a full starter’s workload for him required a leap of faith.

Even in 2025, his first substantial major-league season, Pittsburgh monitored him closely. Burrows made 23 appearances, including 19 starts, but logged only 96 innings and completed six frames just twice.

Burrows' recent medical history demanded caution, but Houston still paid a significant price to acquire him. Astros GM Dana Brown traded right-hander Anderson Brito and outfielder Jacob Melton to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Burrows from Pittsburgh in the three-team deal, then publicly described him as a potential pillar of the Astros’ rotation.

Now Burrows is injured, ineffective and unavailable as Houston considers whether it needs additional pitching help before the trade deadline. Unfortunately for the Astros, it was a risk they willingly inherited.

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