Josh Hader Fantasy Stats

Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader made his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday after dealing with shoulder and biceps issues through the first two months of the season. Hader stepped right back into his closer role for Houston and worked a hitless ninth inning for a save against the Pirates. He did walk a batter and also picked up a strikeout to preserve the 11-9 victory. Hader had a 4.15 ERA in his nine rehab appearances with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. His stuff looked sharp on Wednesday, and he'll take back over as the primary closer, leaving Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu without much fantasy value in standard leagues. For as long as he's healthy, Hader has plenty of upside and can be counted on as an elite closer now that he's back.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps) is being activated off the injured list on Tuesday, manager Joe Espada confirmed. Hader had been sidelined since before Opening Day with left biceps tendinitis (he also dealt with shoulder issues late last season). He's progressed through his rehab without setbacks and is now ready to rejoin the big-league bullpen. While the Astros are expected to be cautious with his workload in the early going, Hader should quickly settle back into his role as the primary closer. For fantasy managers, this is a significant boost in saves leagues, especially if you've been streaming or holding onto a committee. Keep an eye on his first few appearances to see how the Astros deploy him, as they may slightly monitor his usage. With Hader set to return, fantasy managers should expect Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu to operate as the primary setup options.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps) is set to make his final rehab appearances with Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday and Thursday before returning to the big leagues, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader is currently on the 60-day injured list and has yet to pitch for Houston in 2026 as he works his way back from left biceps tendinitis. However, Hader has dominated in the minor leagues during his rehab outing, entering Wednesday with a 1.29 ERA and 11 strikeouts across seven innings pitched. The veteran left-hander was one of the best closers in baseball in 2025, recording 28 saves in 29 chances and striking out 36.9% of the batters he faced. Upon his return, Hader profiles as a must-start fantasy closer across all league formats.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps) has yet to pitch in the big leagues in 2026 as he recovers from left biceps tendinitis. However, the 32-year-old has already made seven minor league rehab appearances and is reportedly targeting a return to the Houston bullpen in the first week of June. Hader was one of the game's elite relievers in 2025, pitching to a 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 76 strikeouts and 28 saves across 52 2/3 innings (48 games). He's looked like his vintage self in his rehab outings as well, racking up 11 strikeouts while allowing just six baserunners across seven innings of work. Hader profiles as a high-end fantasy closer once healthy and should be stashed off the waiver wire in all league formats.

Houston Astros left-hander Josh Hader (biceps) is expected to return during the first week of June, according to general manager Dana Brown, as the veteran reliever continues recovering from left biceps tendinitis. Hader was transferred to the 60-day injured list on April 17 and has already made six rehab appearances in the minor leagues. The 31-year-old has yet to pitch for Houston this season, but he remains one of baseball's premier late-inning arms. Hader converted 28 of 29 save opportunities in 2025 while posting a 2.05 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 52 innings. Assuming his rehab continues without setbacks, Hader should reclaim the closer role quickly and provide a major lift for Houston's bullpen.

The Athletic's Chandler Rome reports that Houston Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) needs five more minor-league rehab outings, manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader will not come off the 60-day injured list when he's first eligible on May 24, but it's only due to the calendar they have set for his final five rehab appearances. The hard-throwing southpaw reliever has already appeared in four rehab games with Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi, tossing four shutout innings with three hits allowed, one walk, and six strikeouts. We most likely won't see Hader make his debut until sometime in the final week of May or in early June, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be stashed in most fantasy baseball leagues already. Once activated, the 32-year-old six-time All-Star should immediately slot back in as the Astros' primary closer. Bryan King has become the favorite for saves in Houston with Hader sidelined, although Bryan Abreu picked up his second save of the year in Saturday's win over the Texas Rangers. Hader is currently rostered in 88% of Yahoo leagues.

Houston Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) threw a scoreless inning with one hit allowed, no walks, and two strikeouts on Friday with Double-A Corpus Christi in his minor-league rehab outing. Hader has now made four rehab appearances on the farm and has not allowed a run while giving up three hits, walking one, and striking out six in four innings of work. The 32-year-old six-time All-Star has yet to pitch in the majors in 2026 due to left biceps tendinitis, but the veteran southpaw is getting closer to being activated from the 60-day injured list to rejoin Houston's bullpen. Hader won't officially be eligible for reinstatement from the IL until later this month, but barring a setback on his rehab assignment, he should be ready to return when he's eligible. Despite injury issues since last year, Hader should immediately take over as the Astros' primary ninth-inning arm, making him stash-worthy in all fantasy formats where he's currently available. He's currently rostered in 88% of Yahoo leagues. Until Hader returns, Bryan King should continue to get save opportunities in Houston.

Houston Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps) has yet to pitch in 2026 as he works his way back from a biceps injury. There was some thought in Spring Training that Hader might have a chance to return in April, but the 32-year-old was transferred to the 60-day injured list in the middle of the month and is not eligible to return in late May. Still, the Astros have struggled mightily to backfill for Hader while he's been out, as right-hander Bryan Abreu has pitched to a 12.96 ERA. Hader remained one of the best relievers in baseball when healthy in 2025, pitching to a 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 76 strikeouts and 28 saves across 52 2/3 innings. Once he makes it back to the big leagues, Hader should immediately step in as the unquestioned closer in Houston. However, health remains a question mark until Hader can progress to a rehab assignment.

The Houston Astros announced on Friday that they transferred left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) to the 60-day injured list. The move was made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Peter Lambert, who was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to make the start on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The move means that Hader now won't be eligible to come off the IL until late May. The dominant 32-year-old southpaw threw his first live batting practice session since being diagnosed with left-biceps tendinitis near the start of spring training, but he still has a ways to go before he'll be ready to come off the IL and return to save duties in Houston. The six-time All-Star has 227 career saves in nine MLB seasons, so he's worth stashing in an IL spot in fantasy leagues until then. Bryan Abreu was expected to be the favorite for saves early in 2026 with Hader sidelined, but he has really struggled, opening the door for Bryan King, and most recently, Enyel De Los Santos.

Houston Astros left-handed closer Josh Hader (biceps) said he's "feeling strong" after throwing 20 pitches to teammates Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews on Tuesday at Daikin Park, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Hader missed the final two months last year with a left-shoulder capsule strain and was then diagnosed with biceps tendinitis at the start of February. He's been working his way back ever since and landed on the 15-day injured list to begin the 2026 regular season. Hader was sitting at 91-93 mph with his fastball on Tuesday. Barring a setback, he's about a month away from making his season debut for the Astros. With Hader on the shelf, right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu has not taken advantage of the opportunity to lock down Houston's closing role, which has led to Enyel De Los Santos picking up some saves in the last couple of days. Even though Hader is getting older and is more of an injury risk now, he was dominant when healthy in 2025 and should still be stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues.