When Houston Astros All-star closer Josh Hader reported that he had been experiencing discomfort in his elbow, concern was apparent. The Astros’ injured list is littered with players the team expected to be major contributors throughout the whole 2025 season — the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes, Ronel Blanco, Brendan Rogers and Lance McCullers Jr., among others, come to mind.
But as the week went along, Hader’s situation worsened. On Tuesday, Astros manager Joe Espada described Hader’s placement on the 15-day injured list as a “punch in the gut” (via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). On Wednesday, Hader sought a second opinion for his elbow, while Espada predicted that his stay on the injured list was “going to take a little bit longer than the two weeks.”
On Thursday came a formal diagnosis of the injury.
The Astros told The Athletic’s Chandler Rome that Hader had suffered a “left shoulder capsule sprain” that will prevent him from throwing “approximately three weeks.” After that period of time is over, the team said, both parties will determine the next steps in his recovery.
As a result, a timeline for his return to the mound — and, potentially, his status for the remainder of the 2025 campaign — is currently unknown.
Hader, in his second season with the Astros after signing a five-year deal with the club in January of 2024, was in the midst of his sixth All-Star campaign as a big-leaguer when he was struck by injury. In 48 relief appearances in 2025, Hader pitched to a 6-2 record, 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP, in addition to recording 28 saves and 76 strikeouts across 52.2 innings pitched.
Prior to joining the Astros, Hader landed on the All-MLB First Team and was named the National League’s Reliever of the Year three times apiece.
A ninth-inning replacement for Hader has yet to be named, but fellow relief pitcher Bryan Abreu clinched a save for the Astros on Wednesday night, pitching a scoreless inning against the Red Sox in Hader’s absence.
