Astros $95M Six-Time All-Star Seeking Second Opinion After 'Gut Punch' Injury
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
No team wants to lose its closer in the middle of a playoff race, but the Houston Astros are in a particularly vulnerable position.
Josh Hader has been absolutely fantastic for the Astros this year, and he'd never spent time on the injured list in his entire nine-year career to this point, excluding a bout of COVID in 2021. But just as the playoff race was heating up, the lefty's shoulder started barking.
Hader went on the 15-day IL on Tuesday, but manager Joe Espada admitted Wednesday that the absence will take longer than those initial two weeks, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2025 in the Bronx borough of...
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by)"A punch to the gut," Espada called the loss, per Rome.
Espada told reporters on Wednesday that Hader was seeking a second opinion. Then, the skipper was asked if surgery was on the table.
"I'm not going to comment on any of that," Espada said, per Rome. "Let's give Josh the space to go and see the doctors."
Hader last pitched on Friday, when he threw a season-high 36 pitches against the New York Yankees. He was opposed to throwing multiple innings earlier in his career, but that was before he got a five-year, $95 million contract from Houston.
"He played catch (on Saturday) and then I got him up on Sunday. Everything was fine until (Monday), he came in and was doing his warmup, and it did not feel right," Espada said, per Rome.
If Hader needs surgery, it's not only a massive loss for the Astros this year, but potentially for a big chunk of next year as well. It's too early to assess the likelihood of that possibility, but what a nightmare it would be for Houston.
More MLB: Mets' Carlos Mendoza Responds to Clay Holmes Rotation Question As Concerns Grow
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