Astros closer Josh Hader undergoing tests for shoulder discomfort

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HOUSTON — Houston Astros All-Star closer Josh Hader reported shoulder discomfort upon arriving at Daikin Park on Monday afternoon, dealing a potential brutal blow to a pitching staff already decimated by injuries and a bullpen that boasts the second-lowest ERA in the American League.

Hader felt pain while doing his regular plyometric work before Monday night’s 7-6 win against the Boston Red Sox, manager Joe Espada said. Hader underwent testing, and the club was awaiting the results.

“He just didn’t feel right,” Espada said.

The 31-year-old was not spotted in the Astros bullpen during the game or in the clubhouse after the victory. Setup man Bryan Abreu did not pitch during the one-run win, either, but only because he had thrown in two of the past three games, according to Espada.

Hader threw a season-high 36 pitches to procure the final six outs of Friday evening’s 5-3 win against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Entering Monday, the 52 2/3 innings Hader has thrown this season were the 29th most among qualified relievers

He had thrown 30 or more pitches three other times this year and had gone more than one inning on five other occasions. Since signing a five-year, $95 million contract with the Astros last season, Hader has softened his once hardline stance of only making one-inning appearances, having thrown multiple innings in 14 of his 119 regular-season outings as an Astro, which he said is a byproduct of Houston’s investment in him.

Before signing the free-agent deal — which is the largest in Jim Crane’s ownership tenure — Hader had not gone more than one inning in a regular-season game since Aug. 14, 2020. Hader is the second-highest-paid reliever in baseball, trailing just New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz.

After his 36-pitch outing Friday, Hader did not appear in Saturday’s game, but he warmed up in the bullpen during the eighth inning Sunday while the Astros held a two-run lead. Houston scored thrice in the ninth inning to widen the lead and prevent Hader from pitching.

Losing Hader for any length of time would cripple a club that at one time this season had 18 players on the injured list. Activating starter Cristian Javier on Monday left the Astros with just 13 players on the IL, seven of whom are pitchers.

Hader has converted 28 of the 29 save chances he’s been handed during a dominant season that produced his sixth All-Star selection. He has allowed an earned run in just nine of his 48 outings and has appeared in 42 of the Astros’ 67 wins.

Should Hader miss any time, Abreu is his obvious successor at closer. Nothing else is as surefire, magnifying the club’s decision to balk at the high asking prices for pitching help during last month’s trade deadline.

Left-hander Bryan King, who began the season as Houston’s seventh-inning reliever, has allowed four home runs and 12 hits across his past eight appearances. Fellow southpaw Bennett Sousa recorded the final out of Monday’s game and could be in line for higher-leverage chances if Hader is unavailable.

Houston’s lack of reliable right-handed options will present a problem, though. Kaleb Ort and newcomer Enyel De Los Santos have appeared in only lower-leverage spots in Houston’s full-strength bullpen.

Veteran Héctor Neris allowed three runs in 2/3 of an inning Monday and might not be long for the active roster, especially if the oft-injured Shawn Dubin is soon activated from the IL, as expected.

(Photo: Ishika Samant / Getty Images)

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