Astros Place Josh Hader On Injured List For First Time In His Career

Josh Hader hits the injured list as part of a flurry of Houston Astros roster moves.

Aug 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros received some tough news on Tuesday.

After being withheld from Monday's game despite there being a save situation, testing on Josh Hader's shoulder discomfort has resulted in him being placed on the injured list.

Officially announced by the team as part of a flurry of roster moves, the superstar closer is hitting the IL for the first time in his nine-year MLB career.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/GFi4o7UKnp

— Houston Astros (@astros) August 12, 2025

Deemed a left shoulder strain, this could be a significant loss for the Astros since this injury has been suffered at this stage of the season.

Owner of a 2.05 ERA across 48 appearances with 28 saves converted out of 29 attempts, the left-hander has played a key part in the success of Houston all year long.

Other pitchers will now have to step up with the bullpen pecking order shaken.

Astros Made Other Roster Moves

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Hader's placement on the 15-day IL might have been the headliner on Tuesday, but it was far from the only move that was made.

The Astros also announced that right-handed pitcher Shawn Dubin was reinstated from the 15-day injured list, while left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land and right-handed pitcher Hector Neris was designated for assignment.

As for Dubin, his return is an important one.

He's been spectacular with a 1.33 ERA across 18 outings this season, performing much better than the 4.17 ERA mark he had last year in 32 appearances (two starts).

Getting another high-performing bullpen arm back in the mix is huge for Houston with Hader now out for the foreseeable future, especially because Bryan Abreu is likely to slide into some sort of closer duty.

Gordon was a pleasant surprise when he was called up out of necessity on May 14 of this year for his Major League debut.

While he was never dominant -- owning a 5.95 ERA in the month of May -- he turned things around in June with a 3-0 record and 2.14 ERA across four starts that helped keep the team afloat with all their pitching injuries.

The wheels fell off after that with a 7.36 ERA post the All-Star break, but he's now back with the big league club hoping he can find his past form.

Neris' third stint with the Astros is likely over following his DFA.

He was incredible during his first run with the team, being a major part of their World Series championship run in 2022. But during his last two, the veteran reliever hasn't been able to hold a spot on the team.

It's likely he'll clear waivers and await his next opportunity, whether that's returning to Houston on a minor league deal or signing with his fourth organization of 2025.