Houston Astros relief pitcher Bennett Sousa (62) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Astros Not Expecting Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort to Return in Regular Season

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros could use more help in the bullpen due to injuries, but that help is unlikely to return before the end of the regular season.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown made his regular Sunday appearance on the team’s pre-game radio show and said that both Bennett Sousa and Kaleb Ort were “unlikely” to return by the end of the regular season on Sept. 28, in comments conveyed by the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara.

Brown hedged a bit on Sousa, who has been on the injured list longer than Ort. But with 21 days remaining in the regular season, and a potential postseason run to come, the window doesn’t appear wide enough to either to reasonably help the Astros down the stretch. Sousa, a left-hander, has been on the 15-day injured list since Aug. 22 with left elbow inflammation. Ort, a right-hander, when on the 15-day IL on Friday with right elbow inflammation.

Impact of Losing Sousa and Ort

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have leaned hard on both relievers, especially since losing closer Josh Hader on Aug. 12 to a left shoulder strain. The closer’s absence has put more pressure on the entire staff, to the point where Houston re-signed former closer Craig Kimbrel and moved starter Lance McCullers Jr. into the bullpen. Since Hader went down, the Astros have used Bryan Abreu in several save situations. He’s recorded four saves in that span, while Ort has the only other save since Hader’s injury.

Sousa and Ort became more important in the absence of Hader, and the former has been one of the franchise’s more reliable relievers this season. He is 5-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 44 games. He had 59 strikeouts and 15 walks in 50.2 innings before the injury. When he left, Ort received more of Sousa’s relief situations. His number aren’t quite as good as Sousa (2-2, 4.89) but he has 49 strikeouts and 27 walks in 46 innings.

While Hader is resuming throwing, it’s possible he’s a couple of weeks away from helping the bullpen. With Abreu anchoring the ninth inning, Houston has Kimbrel, McCullers, Bryan King, Steven Okert, Enyel De Los Santos, AJ Blubaugh, Jayden Murray and Logan VanWey available in the bullpen.

Whether that will be enough in an AL West race that is growing tighter remains to be seen. The Astros do get an off day on Monday as they travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a key three-game series for both teams. Houston hopes the off day allows it to reset the starting rotation just a bit, as Luis Garcia slid out of the Sunday spot for Framber Valdez. The off day also gives Houston a chance to start Hunter Brown in Thursday’s finale.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: