Astros’ Josh Hader IL move suggests he isn’t close to returning

After the Houston Astros lost to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, the team made some roster announcements that provide an update on star closer Josh Hader. As Hader’s biceps injury with the Astros has been closely monitored by fans, the latest update could be a disappointment for many.

Houston would announce the roster moves on social media, specifically on its X, formerly Twitter, page, as it included selecting pitcher Peter Lambert for the major league roster and Christian Roa being optioned to Triple-A. But the team would say that Hader is being moved now to the 60-day injured list (IL).

This comes after a major progression for Hader, where he had live batting practice, throwing 20 pitches, with the bright side that he’s “feeling good,” according to Brian McTaggart.

“I’m feeling good, feeling strong,” Hader said. “I got through it throwing relatively hard and commanded the baseball in the zone, commanded the slider, getting good whiffs on it. Ideally, that’s what you want.”

Josh Hader said today’s live BP session is essentially like the start of spring training for him pic.twitter.com/jnDDXKM7VB

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 14, 2026

Josh Hader on watching the Astros play while being injured 

There’s no denying that Hader is one of the best relievers and closers in baseball, but the injury setbacks have no doubt been frustrating, going back to when he missed the final two months of the last regular season with a left shoulder injury. He would then be said to have biceps tendinitis, diagnosed at the start of February, with the work put in being slow progress.

For a competitor, it has been hard to watch the team play from the sidelines, with the urge of wanting to contribute.

“It’s tough to sit here and watch games and not be able to be part of it. Obviously, the emotions are still there,” Hader said. “But not being able to participate, it’s definitely a grind. But overall, I got work to do in the background. I feel like I’ve been doing that.”

Last season, Hader would record a 2.05 ERA to go along with 76 strikeouts and 28 saves, as it remains to be seen when he returns for the Astros.

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