After a strong rehab stint, Josh Hader could be back in the Astros bullpen as soon as next week. For a team that has been searching for a late-inning anchor all season, the timing could not be better.
The Astros have been dealing with countless injuries since the 2025 season. They can't seem to catch a break and are frequently losing key players. That being said, some good injury-related news might be in the Astros' near future. Closer Josh Hader could be back in the next few weeks.
Hader has been on the 60-day IL since the start of the season with left biceps tendinitis. He has not stepped on the big league mound since August 2025.
Hader began his rehab assignment on May 5 and has appeared in seven games across two levels, Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land.
He has been dominant: six-plus innings, one run allowed, one walk, and nine strikeouts, but wasn't quite ready to move back up to the big leagues. More rehab was needed before potentially returning to the Astros. After almost a month of rehab, Hader could be expected to return at the end of May or early June.
Bryan Abreu, who stepped up to fill the gap in the bullpen, has been struggling in the closer role. The bullpen has been one of the biggest weaknesses on the team and has undergone a lot of wear and tear due to the starters' struggles.
When Hader was last healthy in 2025, he posted a 2.05 ERA with 28 saves in 52.2 innings, per MLB. Having Hader gone has been a blow to the bullpen.
The Astros had a four-game win streak going and finally had some momentum, despite dropping last night's game against the Texas Rangers 10-7.
For a team trying to push past a rough start to the season, his return would give the bullpen the late-inning anchor it has been missing all season. Not to mention Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier likely returning mid-June, the Astros' pitching staff could be a different animal next month.
