Houston Astros All-Star Josh Hader reported discomfort in his throwing shoulder on Monday. After undergoing tests, Astros manager Joe Espada claimed the closer was seeking a second opinion and that it "is going to take a little bit longer than the two weeks." From MLB.com's Brian McTaggart:
Astros manager Joe Espada said Josh Hader is seeking a second opinion for his shoulder strain, but there’s no word on what the first opinion said.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 13, 2025
“This is going to take a little bit longer than the two weeks,” he said.
This is a troubling development for the Astros, a team that has struggled to avoid the injury bug all season. Hader was enjoying a return to form in his age-31 season, posting a 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 76 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. The hard-throwing lefty, in the second year of a five-year contract, will presumably cede closing duties to Bryan Abreu until further notice.
Should the Astros fear the worst — and seeking a second opinion normally implies a negative first opinion — Houston is sure to scour the marketplace for last-second bullpen upgrades. The trade deadline is behind them, but a lot of veterans will get waived in the days and weeks ahead. One dream target for the Astros hails from within their own division: Los Angeles Angels RHP Kenley Jansen.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Astros can hope for Angels to waive Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen continues to provide steadfast production well into his late 30s, currently in his 16th MLB season. The righty inked a one-year deal with the Angels in the offseason, which was always destined to end with a trade or a DFA, yeah? We all knew L.A. would eventually fall out of contention eventually and there's no benefit to forcing Jansen to close out meaningless games.
If Jansen hits the open market, he's bound to have his pick of the litter. Every contender can use that one extra bullet in the bullpen chamber. Jansen has a 2.80 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 45.0 innings this season. He has 22 saves.
Jansen is a unique pitcher, throwing his cutter on over 80 percent of his pitches. He can mix in the occasional sinker or slider, but Jansen has leaned more on the cutter with age, hoping to continue drawing chases outside the zone and soft contact. Jansen has benefitted from more luck than normal this season, but his track record across almost two decades of bullpen stints ought to appease the Astros.
Kenley Jansen is great, but he's also not Josh Hader
The Astros should hope and pray that Jansen falls into their lap, but he's not a one-for-one Hader replacement. If the latter is forced to miss extended time into the playoffs, it will be a tough pill for Houston to swallow. Hader is far from perfect, but he's one of the most dominant strikeout machines in MLB. Few closers have peaked as high as he has over the years.
Jansen can operate with poise late in games, but he's probably best viewed as a high-end setup man at this point in his career, especially come October. The Astros need Josh Hader — and there won't be a ready-made solution if he's unlucky enough to have his season end prematurely. So yeah, keep an eye out for Jansen, Astros fans. Just don't get your hopes up too high if worse comes to worst.