The injury-riddled Houston Astros added another player to their lengthy Injured List, as Josh Hader was placed on the 15-day IL with a left shoulder capsule strain. Hader believes he can return this season, which is a good thing, but he also said it would take three weeks for him to build up after not throwing for three weeks. This means that his regular season is almost oveer.
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.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 16, 2025
Getting Hader back for October would obviously be great news, but nothing is guaranteed. The Astros have not clinched a postseason spot, and doing so without Hader will be easier said than done.
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Astros must find a way to survive without Josh Hader in order to watch him pitch again this season
Hader has had an outstanding season, posting a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances and 52.2 innings of work for the Astros. He has converted all but one of his 29 save opportunities, and has a 36.9 percent strikeout rate, good for the 99th percentile per Baseball Savant.
The Astros should be fine without Hader, as his closer replacement, Bryan Abreu, is one of the best relievers in the game. Guys like Bennett Sousa, Steven Okert and Bryan King can also help set up, but there's no replacing Hader, arguably the best in the world at what he does. Sitting comfortably in a playoff spot helps too.
What's abundantly clear though is when Hader does eventually return, the Astros must use him differently.
Astros can ill-afford to put Josh Hader in situation to re-injure shoulder
Hader started to feel discomfort in his left shoulder after completing two innings in a game against the New York Yankees in early August. While he pitched well in that outing and has had tons of success in outings that require him to record more than three outs, Hader has gone beyond an inning only seven times this season and only 14 times across two seasons with the Astros. He can do it, but rarely does.
This is especially interesting considering Hader's well-documented reluctance to go beyond an inning of work without a long-term deal because he had injury concerns. Hader is under a long-term deal with the Astros right now, and would presumably go beyond an inning if asked, but it's hard to argue that the Astros should be asking for more than an inning of relief out of him when he's healthy.
This mindset might change in a potential elimination game, but beyond that, Hader's health is too important to the success of this franchise both in 2025 and beyond.