The Houston Astros were dealt a tough blow when Josh Hader was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday evening with left shoulder inflammation. Astros manager Joe Espada didn’t have a time table for the All-Star’s return when talking to reporters before Monday’s 14-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox, but regardless of how long Hader is out, it leaves a massive hole in the Houston bullpen.
Joe Espada called Josh Hader’s placement on the injured list a “punch to the gut.” Hader is seeing doctors and receiving additional tests, so the team is still unsure of the severity of his shoulder strain or a timeline for his return.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 12, 2025
The Astros are probably wishing they added some depth before the cost of elite relievers skyrocketed at the trade deadline, but they’ll have to make due with what’s available. The combination of Enyel De Los Santos and Bennett Sousa closed out a save opportunity in Hader’s absence in Monday’s win over Boston, but the Astros may have to call back a reliever they exiled this winter, to keep the pen afloat heading down the stretch.
Astros Need to Get Ryan Pressly on the Phone After Josh Hader’s Injury
The Astros made the decision to salary dump Ryan Pressly last winter and it turned out to be one of their best moves of the offseason. The right-hander was in the final year of a two-year, $30 million contract extension but he was in the midst of a decline that saw his Baseball Savant page turn from red to blue over the past three seasons.
Still, quality relievers are hard to find and the Chicago Cubs took the bait based on Pressley’s 2.81 ERA and 111 saves over seven years in Houston. The Astros willingly obliged and Pressly posted career-highs in ERA (4.35) and WHIP (1.52) before he was released on July 31.
While the Minnesota Twins were interested in their own reunion with the right-hander, Houston’s bullpen situation became more dire with the Hader news. It would be arrogant to believe that the Astros could restore Pressly to his 2023 form as he ranks in the 10th percentile or lower in average exit velocity (91.2 mph), chase rate (23.4%), whiff rate (17.4%), strikeout rate (15.4%) and hard-hit rate (50%). But he wouldn’t be used in the same capacity he was last season.
We don’t know the timetable for Hader’s return but the Astros could be looking for a body to take his place. Houston did this by signing Jason Heyward for outfield depth late last season and he wound up being a productive player (.218/.283/.473, 4 HR, 9 RBI) on their way to a division title. Pressly could do the same as a seventh-inning bridge and jump back into another pennant race.
There could also be a short leash with this move. If Pressly doesn’t pitch well, the Astros can move on and hopefully get Hader back sooner than expected with little financial ramifications.
The Astros have received some good news with the pitching staff in recent days as Cristian Javier rejoined the rotation. Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers are also scheduled to make rehab starts for Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday and Thursday, paving the way for their return to the rotation. But for a team that has its eyes set on another division title, adding one more arm wouldn’t hurt for the stretch run.