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51 articles
HOU • Pitcher • #71
1 day ago
Hader “hoping” to face hitters in mid-April is not the same as him definitely doing that, but it’s obviously good news. He would first face those hitters in live batting practice and then head to Triple-A on a rehab assignment. That would mean that, if all goes well, Hader could return to the Astros bullpen at the beginning of May.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
2 days ago
As expected, Hader will open the regular season with a trip to the injured list. It’ll be Bryan Abreu handling the ninth-inning role in his absence, which gives him immediate relevance in all fantasy formats. Hader remains without a definitive return timetable and has yet to progress to facing hitters. At this juncture, it seems unlikely he’ll return to Houston’s bullpen before the end of April.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
17 days ago
This was expected, but there was some hope after Hader said he “felt good” following his bullpen on Tuesday. Still, if you watched footage of that bullpen, Hader was clearly not letting the ball fly with the usual zip, and he’s still ramping up from an offseason shoulder issue and now his biceps issue. Hader could be back in the middle of April and return to his normal self, but it’s hard to feel optimistic that he makes it through the season without more trips to the IL given his multitude of arm issues. Bryan Abreu is the clear pivot here if you’re looking for early saves with the chance to hold onto the role if Hader isn’t fully healthy.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #71
17 days ago
Hader was back on the mound for the first time after being slowed by biceps inflammation. Hader is scheduled to throw another bullpen later this week, and then the Astros will decide on a more concrete timeline for his return based on how he’s “recovering and bouncing back.” There is still a chance that he’s ready for Opening Day, but it’s highly unlikely.
Source: Matt Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #71
19 days ago
Hader, who ended last season with a strained left shoulder, has been dealing with biceps inflammation that has delayed his throwing program. His arm has felt good as he has started ramping back up, so Tuesday’s bullpen session will be the next step to seeing when he can get on the mound in spring training action. If the bullpen and subsequent spring action go without a hitch, Hader may only be a couple of weeks behind schedule, but be prepared for the Astros to be cautious with their closer in the early going. That still makes Bryan Abreu a solid pick in fantasy drafts, given all the questions surrounding Hader.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
23 days ago
The progression continues. Hader will have gone from playing catch to a bullpen session to hitting the mound next week. It seems like he’s still well behind schedule to be ready for Opening Day, but this remains a very fluid situation. Bryan Abreu is who you should be targeting in fantasy leagues if you’re not convinced Hader will be ready to go.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
24 days ago
Hader has been limited to playing catch after experiencing biceps inflammation in his ramp up. If he’s pain-free when he gets back on the mound, then there might be some chance of him being available on Opening Day. Still, it seems more likely that he’ll miss at least the first week or two of the season. Bryan Abreu is the Astros’ fallback in the closer’s role.
Source: Matthew Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #71
28 days ago
Hader remains without a definitive timetable to return as Houston’s closer, which opens the door for elite high-leverage specialist Bryan Abreu to open the season in the ninth-inning role. The 31-year-old southpaw has been working his way back from biceps inflammation that cropped up earlier this month and should progress to throwing a bullpen session in the near future. He’s a virtual lock to open the year on the injured list, which has caused his fantasy stock to crater in re-draft formats.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
30 days ago
He’s continued to play catch after biceps inflammation sprung up in early February, but the fact that we’re now almost in March and Hader doesn’t really seem to be progressing is ominous. Fantasy managers that draft Hader — and at this point we’d continue to break tier ties against Hader — should consider pursuing Bryan Abreu as a contingency plan later in their drafts.
Source: Matt Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #71
about 1 month ago
What that actually means for Hader’s availability to start the regular season remains to be seen. The 31-year-old southpaw is dealing with inflammation in his biceps tendon after finishing the 2025 campaign on the injured list with a left shoulder strain. Until he’s back up on a mound and facing live hitters, it’s difficult to project any sort of timeline for his absence. Bryan Abreu will open the season in the closer’s role if Hader starts the year on the IL.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
about 1 month ago
Imaging revealed inflammation of Hader’s biceps tendon and Espada said he has not thrown the last “10 or 11" days. While this timeline gives him plenty of time to ramp up for the season, we don’t love to hear about inflammation on an MRI in February. We’ll be monitoring Hader’s status closely but this is probably something worth breaking a tie in your draft against Hader for if your league is drafting in the near future. Hader said he is “probably a few weeks behind” but didn’t rule out being ready for Opening Day.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
about 1 month ago
Imaging revealed inflammation of Hader’s biceps tendon and Espada said he has not thrown the last “10 or 11" days. While this timeline gives him plenty of time to ramp up for the season, we don’t love to hear about inflammation on an MRI in February. We’ll be monitoring Hader’s status closely but this is probably something worth breaking a tie in your draft against Hader for if your league is drafting in the near future.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #71
about 2 months ago
This is all very odd. Olney offers up no actual quotes in his article, and none of the Astros’ beat writers have chimed in on the subject. Hader is coming back from a strained left shoulder that cost him the end of last year, but he said he was back throwing normally in November. If something has changed, we should have more than Olney’s vague report soon.
Source: ESPN.com
HOU • Pitcher • #71
4 months ago
Hader was quick to note that he’s clearly not throwing at near full intensity right now, so feeling normal is a bit different than feeling normal during the season. “It should be normal. Obviously, intensity gets up (in Spring Training), and we’ll see how that goes and how I’m recovering, bouncing back from that.” As of now, Hader is set to begin spring training as normal, but he does have some elevated risk in fantasy leagues due to the shoulder injury with no surgical fix.
Source: Houston Chronicle
HOU • Pitcher • #71
4 months ago
Brown continued that they believe that Hader is “on course to come back and be there for Opening Day.” Hader was placed on the IL on August 12 with a shoulder strain and was unable to return to the mound. Bryan Abreu filled in as the team’s closer, but will likely return to a high-leverage stopper role. Hader was electric when healthy in 2025, but considering Hader opted not to have surgery this offseason, he does come with some elevated risk in 2026.
Source: Houston Chronicle
HOU • Pitcher • #71
5 months ago
Hader, 31, missed the final six-plus weeks with a strain in his left shoulder. Brown told reporters that the stopper was “progressing well” in his recovery. There’s a good chance Hander will be ready to roll for the start of the 2026 season, assuming no setbacks.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #71
6 months ago
Astros manager Joe Espada said Hader underwent imaging earlier this week that showed healing in his left shoulder, but he hasn’t been cleared to resume throwing. The 31-year-old closer appears unlikely to be ready when the postseason kicks off next week, should Houston manage to get there.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #71
6 months ago
Today marks the five-week mark since Hader was shut down with a shoulder strain. With just two weeks to go, he’s definitely not a candidate to return during the regular season.
Source: Matt Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #71
7 months ago
Hader elaborated that it would take him at least three weeks to build up his arm strength and stamina following a three-week shutdown, which doesn’t leave any time for him to return before the regular season wraps up in exactly six weeks. The 31-year-old All-Star closer hit the injured list earlier this week with a left shoulder strain. It’s a brutal development for managers heading into the fantasy playoffs, but it’s a positive update that he won’t require surgery. His extended absence elevates Bryan Abreu to the closer role in Houston with Bennett Sousa likely to vulture the occasional save chance.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
Espada wouldn’t reveal what the first opinion revealed, but it probably wasn’t good news. Bryan Abreu just might be a top-10 fantasy closer for the rest of the year.
Source: Brian McTaggert
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
This seemed like an inevitability after Astros’ manager Joe Espada’s comments to the media on Monday night. We still don’t have word yet on the severity of the strain — or on how much time the Astros’ closer may miss due to the injury. Bryan Abreu seems like the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy perspective, as he should step into the ninth-inning role with Hader sidelined. He makes for a strong addition in all fantasy formats.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
That’s something that fantasy managers would have loved to have known prior to locking in lineups for the week. Hader underwent testing on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, the results of those tests are not yet known. He’s considered day-to-day for the time being, but the Astros aren’t likely to take any chances with their prized southpaw — especially when it’s arm-related. Look for another update from Espada and company on Tuesday.
Source: Jose de Jesus Ortiz
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
Enyel De Los Santos and Bennett Sousa worked the ninth, with Sousa getting a one-out save. Hader hasn’t worked since throwing 36 pitches on Friday, so something is definitely wrong here. The Astros will probably have to cop to it in the upcoming postgame interviews,
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
Hader took the mound in the top of the ninth to close out the game against the Nationals with a three-run lead. He made easy work of the top of Washington’s lineup, striking out the side on 13 pitches for his 28th save.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
Hader has been uncharacteristically wild of late, but he walked none and struck out two today. He’s first in the AL and second in the majors in saves. His successor in San Diego, Robert Suarez, has 29.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
8 months ago
Hader did see the tying run reach the plate, but he was able to get Josh Naylor to fly out to right field to end the threat. He’s now up to 26 saves on the season, and the scoreless frame lowers his ERA to 2.36 over 46 2/3 innings. Hader has struggled in July, so fantasy managers should be concerned but relieved he was able to avoid giving up a run; something he had done in three straight appearances.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
9 months ago
Hader looked like he was going to breeze through the outing to pick up a save, but instead blew his second-straight game when he allowed a solo homer against Kyle Higashioka. Yes, that Kyle Higashioka. He’s now allowed runs in three of his last four appearances, and his 1.67 ERA entering July is now up to 2.53. There’s no reason to panic just yet, but there’s every reason to be disappointed in those results as of late.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
9 months ago
Hader came on to work the top of the ninth inning with the score tied at 6-6 and Hader worked around a two-out single to work a scoreless frame. He returned for the 10th though after the Astros failed to score in the ninth and that’s where trouble ensued. After a sacrifice bunt to start the inning, Jose Ramirez was walked intentionally. Carlos Santana then worked a walk to load the bases. Hader rallied to strike out Johnathan Rodriguez before Angel Martinez crushed an unlikely, two-out, go-ahead grand slam. Hader has still yet to blow a save in 25 chances on the season, though this was his first defeat.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
9 months ago
Hader was brought in to face pinch-hitter Michael Conforto in the eighth, but he wound up facing Esteury Ruiz instead and struck him out. He then allowed only a Shohei Ohtani single during the ninth. Hader is all alone in first place in the majors in saves, one ahead of Carlos Estévez and Robert Suarez.
HOU • Pitcher • #71
9 months ago
Hader was summoned in the bottom of the ninth against the Rockies to close out the game with a two-run lead. He gave up a solo homer to Hunter Goodman to cut the lead to one before striking out the final two batters to convert his 24th save.