HOUSTON — Add another injury to a Houston Astros season that has been defined by them.
The Astros placed All-Star closer Josh Hader on the injured list Tuesday, one day after he reported shoulder discomfort and did not pitch in a save situation against the Boston Red Sox.
The Astros only described Hader’s injury as a left shoulder strain and backdated his IL stint to Aug. 11. The team has reinstated right-hander Shawn Dubin from the IL and recalled left-hander Colton Gordon from Triple A. Veteran Héctor Neris was designated for assignment.
Hader, 31, has never been on the injured list during his nine-year major-league career aside from a stint on the COVID-19 IL in August 2021 after he tested positive for the virus.
According to Astros manager Joe Espada, Hader experienced pain in his shoulder after completing some of his plyometric work prior to Monday’s game. Hader warmed up to pitch in Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium, but went unused after the Astros scored three runs to widen their lead and eliminate a save situation.
The left-hander has converted 28 of his 29 save chances during a dominant season that produced his sixth All-Star selection. His 28 saves trail only San Diego’s Robert Suarez and Kansas City’s Carlos Estévez for the major-league lead.
Hader’s 2.05 ERA is lower than that of both Suarez and Estévez. Among American League closers, only Seattle’s Andrés Muñoz and Boston’s Aroldis Chapman have lower ERAs than Hader, who is in the second season of a five-year, $95 million contract he signed last winter.
Hader has appeared in 42 of the Astros’ first 67 wins while only throwing in six losses, underscoring his importance to a team that thrives on its run prevention and execution in close games. The Astros entered Tuesday with a 21-12 record in one-run games and 56-1 when leading after eight innings, two marks that are a testament to Hader’s dominance.
Setup man Bryan Abreu, he of a 1.67 ERA and 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, is the most obvious option to take closing duties in Hader’s absence. Nothing behind Abreu is as settled, meaning Espada may take a matchup-based approach before handing the ball to his substitute closer.
Hader joins seven other Astros pitchers on an injured list that has grown as large as 18 players during this star-crossed season. Within the past week, starters Cristian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti have returned from long-term injuries — which at the time was encouraging news for the team’s overall pitching health. Hader’s shoulder discomfort now diminishes that progress.
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
