The Astros activated Cousins (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land after acquiring him off waivers from the Brewers on Monday.
Cousins struggled over his 12 appearances with Milwaukee prior to landing on the shelf in early June with a right shoulder injury and wasn't especially sharp during his five rehab appearances in the minors, so he'll attempt to work out the kinks in Sugar Land before getting a look in the Houston bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander has shown the ability to make bats miss at the big-league level, but any success he might have moving forward will hinge on keeping his walk rate in check.