Impending Josh Hader IL stint still good news for Astros

Closer Josh Hader and the Houston Astros have run out of time.

Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reported that Hader will begin the season on the injured list. However, Kawahara also noted that Hader threw an encouraging bullpen session on Tuesday.

Hader had been slowed at the beginning of spring training due to left biceps inflammation. He had started playing catch on flat ground in mid-February, slowly increasing his throwing program as the Astros played it safe with their closer.

Josh Hader should be ready to return to Houston Astros relatively quickly

Hader had been in the midst of one of his more dominant seasons in 2025 before he was shelved with a capsule sprain in his left shoulder. He posted a 2.05 ERA and a 0.854 WHIP over his 52.2 innings, notching 28 saves while striking out 76 batters with 16 walks. 

While reliever Bryan Abreu is one of the better relievers in baseball in his own right, the Astros certainly felt Hader's absence. They had led the AL West with a 67-52 record heading into Aug. 12 when Hader was placed on the IL. From that point, the Astros had a 20-23 record, falling entirely out of the postseason picture.

The Astros do not have a timeline for when Hader will be activated from the injured list. He has yet to pitch in a spring training game. Nonetheless, Hader's current status is still good news for the Astros as neither his shoulder nor biceps injuries seem to be a concern at this point. He should be able to return to the Astros bullpen shortly after Opening Day and could be the missing piece in a potential playoff push.