Adrian Houser Throws Smoke In Brief Return To Mound

It’s almost impossible to make up for lost time in baseball, but righthander Adrian Houser took big steps in that direction in 2017.

The 24-year-old got back on the mound in the second half after recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the Brewers were excited about the progress he made.

“He did a fantastic job with the rehab process and getting himself in excellent physical condition,” farm director Tom Flanagan said. “So when he got back on the mound and into games, it wasn’t much of a surprise to see how his velocity came back.

“He’s someone that we are excited about heading into 2018.”

Houser, one of four prospects acquired from the Astros in July 2015 for outfielder Carlos Gomez and righthander Mike Fiers, was throwing consistently in the mid- to high 90s during a 29-inning run in the low minors that culminated in the Arizona Fall League, where he was given four outings to cap his return to action.

Houser, who was a September callup in 2015, pitched at Double-A Biloxi in 2016 when his elbow blew out at midseason and he required surgery.

The nearly 30 innings of work Houser got under his belt should serve as a good springboard for 2018.

“It’s more about getting innings for Adrian,” Flanagan said. “We want to get him into a routine and allow him to build his workload along the way.”

The other three players from that trade—outfielders Domingo Santana and Brett Phillips and lefthander Josh Hader—made big contributions for the rebuilding Brewers’ surprising 86-win team in 2017. If Houser, a 2011 second-rounder out of high school in Oklahoma, follows suit, the deal will have an even bigger impact.

“That trade keeps paying dividends,” Flanagan said. “We gave up two really good major leaguers to get that group, but having Adrian back healthy enhances the possible impact they will have.”