The Houston Astros made a splash last month when they reunited with three-time All-Star Carlos Correa. But the Astros didn’t come away from the trade deadline with a new reliever.
Now they’ve lost their best one to the 15-day IL.
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Six-time All-Star Josh Hader, who is tied for third in MLB with 28 saves, will have to recover from a left shoulder strain before he returns to the mound, where he has posted a 2.05 ERA in 48 games this season.
The lefty closer reported shoulder discomfort ahead of Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
“It’s [a] punch in the gut,” Astros manager Joe Espada said, per The Associated Press. “But … he’s seeing doctors right now. We’re getting more tests done, and hopefully this is not going to be a long-term thing.”
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Hader recorded a season-high 36 pitches across two innings Friday in New York during a 5-3 win against the Yankees that was settled in the 10th frame. That marked his seventh multi-inning appearance of the season.
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He also warmed up down the stretch of Sunday’s series finale, but his number wasn’t called while the Astros wrapped up a 7-1 victory in the Bronx.
Hader is in the second year of his five-year, $95 million deal with Houston. He set a franchise record by starting the season 25-for-25 in save opportunities. Entering the week, he was tied for second among AL relievers in strikeouts, according to MLB.com.
With Hader out, Espada isn’t planning to name a replacement closer. Instead, he told reporters that he’ll dispatch relievers from his bullpen depending on matchups.
“I feel good about all those guys,” Espada said.
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It’s a group that welcomed back right-handed reliever Shawn Dubin, who was reinstated from the 15-day IL on Tuesday. The Astros also recalled lefty Colton Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land.
After bouncing back from a 2-8 stretch that started on July 24 and ended on Aug. 3, the 67-52 Astros went into Tuesday with a one-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.