Former Astros pitcher Joe Musgrove sends massive shade towards Josh Hader

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove had some not-so-kind words for his former closer, Josh Hader. Whether intentional or not, Musgrove hit on a sore spot for the five-time All-Star and three-time Trevor Hoffman reliever of the year winner.

Musgrove spent the last four seasons with the Padres, and was Hader's teammate in 2022 and 2023. When discussing the Padres current closer, Robert Suarez, Musgrove was complimentary, but also took a shot at Hader in the process.

"Having a closer that you can go out there and rely on for more than just three outs is huge to us here. He's always willing to take the ball and we're grateful for it," Musgrove said of Suarez.

Did Joe Musgrove take a shot at former teammate Josh Hader?

Hader signed with the Houston Astros this summer in a bit of a surprising move, pairing him with Ryan Pressly. In doing so, Hader agreed to do something he's often shied away from -- pitch multiple innings. FanSided's Robert Murray reported this detail back when Hader signed in late January:

"But Hader, who has predominantly been a one-inning pitcher only, is open to different usage, according to a source, and could pitch more than one inning at a time now that he has secured a long-term deal. Which gives Espada the ability to get creative in deploying Hader, who has statistically been the most dominant reliever in baseball throughout the last 4-5 seasons."

As Murray mentions, now that Hader has secured the long-term commitment he coveted for so long in both Milwaukee and San Diego, he feels comfortable enough to put his body on the line. While perhaps not the best team-first philosophy, Hader's career has come a long way from arguing over a few dollars in an arbitration hearing.

Hader is off to a slow start in Houston, with a 6.75 ERA in four appearances. Thus far, Hader has yet to pitch more than an inning in any of those appearances, and has a negative WAR.