Astros announce horrible Josh Hader news amid shoulder injury

Matt Sullivan

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Astros announce horrible Josh Hader news amid shoulder injury image

The Houston Astros have been one of the better teams in baseball this season, but after their first game against the Boston Red Sox, despite the win, there was a lot of concern surrounding Josh Hader.

He wasn't available out of the bullpen, and the next day, the fears were confirmed, as the Astros announced that Hader was going onto the 15-day injured list. Shawn Dubin was reinstated from the injured list, Colton Gordon was recalled, and Hector Neris was designated for assignment amid the slew of moves Houston made amid the Hader news.

Losing Hader for any period is going to sting, but it's especially more worrisome since it's a shoulder issue with his throwing arm. His absence could be a while, and if so, the Astros will need the rest of their bullpen to step it up.

This season, before hitting the injured list with a left shoulder sprain, Hader was pitching incredibly well. He had a 2.05 ERA, 76 strikeouts, a 6-2 record, a 0.85 WHIP, 16 walks, and 28 saves across 48 appearances and 52.2 innings pitched.

He earned an All-Star nod and was one of the best closers in baseball. But now, he hits the injured list, leaving the rest of the Astros bullpen to pick up the slack.

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Bryan Abreu, with his 1.67 ERA, 79 strikeouts, and 1.04 WHIP in 54 innings pitched, will be a huge part of the bullpen going forward.

Kaleb Ort (4.42 ERA), Bennett Sousa (2.64 ERA), Bryan King (3.10 ERA), Dubin (1.33 ERA), Steven Okert (3.10 ERA), and Enyel De Los Santos (4.43 ERA) will all be huge pieces of the bullpen amid Hader's absence.

As Chandler Rome of The Athletic mentioned, this is the first time in Hader's MLB career, which has spanned nine years, that he is heading to the injured list. It's a tough blow for the 31-year-old and the Astros, especially with the Seattle Mariners just a game behind in the AL West.

Houston will need to weather the storm while Hader is gone, but it might prove difficult, especially since their competition is so close behind them. The Astros should still be a postseason team, but to make a deep run, Hader is integral to the Astros.

It's a tough blow for Hader and the Astros, as Joe Espada will have to reevaluate the bullpen amid their dominant closer's absence for the next few weeks. With the hope of a return later this year, Hader hits the injured list for the first time in his career.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.