While the Houston Astros continue to get healthier with the stretch run of the regular season in full swing, yet another injury has gotten in the way of their division crown hopes. All-Star closer Josh Hader suffered a left capsule shoulder strain injury this past Monday. Hader has been shut down and will not throw for about three weeks.
The $95 million man threw a two-inning save on a season-high 36 pitches on Aug. 8 against the New York Yankees and was ready to go two days later, but was ultimately not needed. Hader then felt some shoulder discomfort on Monday and could not come in and close the series opener against the Boston Red Sox. It is quite possible that the additional strain of throwing that outing in the Bronx, as well as his high number of multiple-inning outings, has caused something like this.
How Josh Hader’s Latest Injury Impacts the Astros
Will Hader Come Back This Season?
According to multiple reports from Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the two-time All-Star is aiming for a potential postseason return. This would also likely be only one-inning outings, not multiple innings like Hader has done in the past several times with Houston. His time of getting five or six outs for the Astros will likely be over for 2025 and even beyond. Hader will take three weeks of throwing build-up after recovering from this injury, which means only a postseason return is possible.
One of the best relievers in the game, Hader has a 6-2 record with a 2.05 ERA in 52 2/3 innings pitched. The 31-year-old has converted 28 of 29 save opportunities this year, along with 78 strikeouts and a 0.854 WHIP.
This is a big setback for the Astros, whose bullpen has looked more susceptible recently. With all the other injuries, it seems to be adding up on the team, but Houston is getting back some starting pitching arms, such as Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., that will help.
Josh Hader update, per @brianmctaggart
“Josh Hader said it would take him three weeks to build up after not throwing for the next three weeks, so don’t expect to see him in the regular season. Playoffs remain a possibility.” pic.twitter.com/OS8vOBClpL
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) August 16, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
What’s Next for the Astros?
With the tight race in the AL West division, Hader’s injury comes at an extremely unfortunate time. The trustworthy arms in the bullpen appear limited, with Bryan Abreu now thrust into that prime reliever spot. Bennett Sousa has been solid but has still given up some big hits. Houston will have to rely more on relievers like Bryan King, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert. Enyel De Los Santos has looked like a solid pickup for the Astros now in his first few outings.
The chances of the ‘Stros blowing leads have risen, and holding onto the AL West looks much more challenging, let alone trying for a top two finish to avoid the wild card round like last season. The offense will have to score more, and the other arms will have to step up. Most importantly, the Astros starters will need to go deep into games to help out the strained bullpen. The starting pitching rotation continues to get healthier, and Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have to be at their best. Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti have improved and will need to keep doing so.
The Astros’ lead in the division is not secure, and many tense finishes could be coming up. Either way, if Houston reaches the playoffs, Hader could make a much-needed return. A top-two finish in the American League would help even more, giving the team a first-round bye and Hader more time to recover.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The post What Closer’s Latest Injury Means for the Houston Astros appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.