Houston Astros closer Josh Hader will miss Opening Day and begin the regular season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada said Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle's Matt Kawahara.
Hader threw a bullpen session Tuesday and said he "felt really good." But his timeline for a proper buildup will carry his recovery from biceps tendinitis past the start of the season.
"For me, it's more of just seeing how my body responds on everything," Hader said on Feb. 11 after the Astros announced he was a few weeks behind schedule in his recovery, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "If I started setting a (timetable), I don't want to get to the point where I'm going to be rushing it and something long-term happens, which I don't think it will. Sometimes you've got to be cautious with that."
The 31-year-old left-hander missed the final two months of the 2025 campaign with a left shoulder capsule strain. He logged a 2.05 ERA and 13.0 K/9 with 28 saves in 52 2/3 innings during the season.
Houston will likely turn to Bryan Abreu in the ninth inning with Hader sidelined.
