As if the Houston Astros haven’t been haunted enough by injuries, another big name has landed on the injured list.
The team’s closer, Josh Hader, whom many would likely say is one of, if not the best in the sport, was placed on the 15-day IL with a left shoulder strain, which is his throwing shoulder, leaving manager Joe Espada and the rest of the Houston bullpen to come up with a game plan for the next few games.
While they would probably be okay with Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and Cristian Javier pitching complete games every day, Espada has made his faith in his bullpen vocal, and how they have helped elevate Hader to the elite arm that he is.
“I feel good about all those guys,” Espada said. “I was talking to the relievers about this. Josh Hader, how successful he’s been, he needs guys to give him the ball with the lead. So all these guys have set him up to be the closer that he is. Not taking anything away from Josh – Josh is probably the best. But you need guys to help him get to that point. And these guys are capable of doing that.”
Bennett Sousa, a reliever in the Space City pitching, emphasized trust within the relievers.
“Just trust each other, that’s the biggest thing,” Sousa said. “If I go out there and don’t get my three outs, I know that I’ve got someone behind me that will pick me up. We’re going to have to do a really good job of picking each other up and staying confident and fresh.”
The Astros hold a narrow 1.5 game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West standings.
