Astros Star Closer Josh Hader Seeks Second Opinion On Injured Shoulder

The Houston Astros star closer is now seeking out a second opinion.

Aug 5, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader (71) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

After a brutal 14-1 loss against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, the absence of All-Star closer Josh Hader has been noticeable.

As of yesterday, he was placed on the dreaded injured list for the first time in his career.

Hader had been experiencing some shoulder discomfort, which left the Astros with no choice but to have him sent for testing. His results showed a left shoulder strain, putting Houston in an unfortunate situation.

Already grappling with several players being on the IL, losing Hader was yet another hit to this team. With a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances, it's undeniable they are losing a valuable player.

Hader Seeks Second Opinion

As reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, manager Joe Espada shared that Hader will be getting a second opinion on his injury.

With limited information available, Astros fans are left fearing the worst.

"This is going to take a little bit longer than the two weeks,” said Espada, per McTaggart.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Josh Hader is seeking a second opinion for his shoulder strain, but there’s no word on what the first opinion said.

“This is going to take a little bit longer than the two weeks,” he said.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 13, 2025

With Hader potentially being out longer than expected -- along with an exhaustive list of additional players on the injured list -- the remaining players are going to need to step it up in his absence.

A lot is up in the air for the Astros, but they don't have a lot of time to figure things out.

Monday night displayed some promise when the Astros took home a 7-6 win against the Red Sox, but Boston bounced back on Tuesday and earned a victory.

Houston then rebounded on Wednesday to take the series, earning themselves a huge victory where interim closer Bryan Abreu secured his first save of the season.

The Astros are back in the top spot of the AL West standings after the Seattle Mariners lost in walk-off fashion, a defeat that stopped their eight-game winning streak.

Up by just a game, it's an incredibly close battle with the Mariners right now. And it's one that could push Houston to the brink based on their injury outlook for the rest of the year.

The hope is that Hader will return sooner rather than later with a positive second opinion on his shoulder. But even if he manages to undergo a quick recovery, he will still need time to regroup and get back to the level he was at before this injury.

This is unfortunate timing for the Astros, leaving them with a high level of uncertainty heading into the home stretch of the season.