After a merciful day off yesterday, the Yankees are set to host the Houston Astros tonight as they seek to turn the page on what has been a brutal stretch. They’ll face a first-place squad buoyed by several additions at last week’s deadline, headlined by the return of three-time All-Star Carlos Correa, who’s shifted over to third base to fill in for the injured Isaac Paredes. Houston’s top two starters are lined up to start the series’ first two games, while the Yankees’ ace will lie in wait for game three. Let’s take a look at the probable pitching matchups for the weekend.

Friday: Cam Schlittler vs. Hunter Brown (7:05 pm ET)

One of very few positive developments over the past month for the Yankees has been the emergence of Cam Schlittler. His results through four starts have been unspectacular but consistent — the right-hander has tossed between 4.1 to 5.1 innings while allowing either two or three runs in each of his outings. Schlittler’s most valuable weapon has been his high-90s four-seamer; opponents are hitting just .227 against the pitch, on which the rookie has recorded 16 of his 21 punch-outs.

After a plodding start to his MLB career, Hunter Brown has exploded this year, emerging as one of the game’s true aces. Recently predicted by a panel of MLB.com experts to finish third in AL Cy Young voting at the end of the season, the 26-year-old is 9-5 with a 2.47 ERA while striking out 155 in 131 innings. The former top prospect’s four-seamer has been virtually unhittable; only Joe Ryan’s heater and Tarik Skubal’s changeup have been more valuable by Run Value than the pitch, against which batters are slugging just .232.

Saturday: Luis Gil vs. Framber Valdez (2:05 pm ET)

The circumstances for Luis Gil’s season debut last Sunday were less than ideal. After missing the first four months of the season due to a lat strain, he was called upon to prevent a sweep at the hands of the Marlins. He struggled, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings. Still, just having the reigning AL Rookie of the Year back on the field was a positive development, and his stuff looked competitive as he tossed 77 pitches in the loss.

He’s slated to oppose Framber Valdez. The 31-year-old has been one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball since joining the Astros’ rotation full-time in 2020; among the 19 pitchers who’ve made at least 140 starts over that stretch, the southpaw ranks third in ERA (3.10) and second in quality starts (98). Amidst this sustained excellence, Valdez is in the midst of a career year, going 11-5 with a 2.83 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. Those numbers would be even more impressive if not for a disappointing start his last time out, with the veteran allowing six runs (five earned) in six innings against the Red Sox at Fenway.

Sunday: Max Fried vs. TBD (1:35 pm ET)

After an exemplary start to the year that earned him his third All-Star berth, Max Fried has hit a skid since the start of July, allowing 25 runs in 31 innings. Even though only 20 of those runs were earned as the left-hander has had to pitch around a bevy of defensive miscues, that still amounts to a 5.81 ERA, a sharp turnaround from the sub-2.00 ERA he posted through his first 17 starts. He’s allowed far too much traffic on the bases; 48 batters have reached safely during that 31-inning stretch. Last time out was typical of this rough patch — Fried allowed four runs in a nightmarish second inning in which every Ranger in the lineup came to the plate and a botched pickoff by the left-hander exacerbated his struggles, but he otherwise held Texas off the board through five innings of work.

The Astros are yet to name a starter to face Fried, though they have two rested options from whom they are likely to choose. While journeyman Jason Alexander allowed 12 runs in just four appearances with the Athletics earlier this year, he’s been much more effective in Houston, pitching to a 3.16 ERA through five appearances (four starts). His most recent appearance was, without question, the best of his career, with the 32-year-old twirling six scoreless innings while allowing just four Miami baserunners. Colton Gordon, the other option in the Astros’ rotation, has struggled at the big-league level, allowing 41 runs (aided by 16 long balls) in 66.2 innings. He has, however, been more effective at Triple-A, where he’s 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA through eight starts.