The Houston Astros are facing the possibility of being without Josh Hader for at least the remainder of the regular season.
Hader spoke to the media on Saturday and revealed more bad news about his shoulder injury. The left-handed closer said he does not expect to return during the regular season, but that there is some hope that he could get back for the playoffs in a strict one-inning role.
Josh Hader just spoke and it is way too much to summarize here, but the gist is that a return this regular season is not likely, but there is some hope he could come back for the postseason in a one-inning only role.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 16, 2025
Hader has a left shoulder capsule sprain, and the Astros have already shut him down for three weeks. Even on an optimistic timeline, that left Hader with very little chance to get himself back to full health before the start of the playoffs.
Even if Hader returns for the playoffs, him being limited to one inning would seriously impact the team’s bullpen flexibility. It is more common for relievers to be used for more than three outs during postseason games, but even under the most optimistic scenario, that might be off the table for Hader.
As things stand, the Astros are likely to make the playoffs, though a recent slide has made that less of a certainty. They enter play Saturday with a 68-54 record, and sit a half-game ahead of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West.
Hader is in his second season with Houston. He is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 28 saves this season.
