Houston Astros All-Star reliever Josh Hader was able to resume throwing Wednesday but told reporters he isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for Opening Day after dealing with biceps tendinitis.
Hader said he felt something in his biceps while throwing a changeup during a bullpen session during the offseason. The feeling didn’t go away when he threw again in the ensuing days.
The left-hander said he was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis about 10 days ago and estimated he’s about three weeks behind schedule. But he said he was pleased to be able to throw Wednesday, the first day of workouts for Astros pitchers and catchers in Florida.
“The biceps kind of got inflamed, so I took about 10 days off and started letting that heal a little bit and now we’re here today,” Hader told reporters, according to MLB.com. “Today is the first day of catch play, and it was pretty good. A little setback, but nothing too concerning for me. Just building back up and get ready for the season.”
Hader, 31, missed the end of the 2025 season after being diagnosed with a left capsule shoulder strain in August.
Neither manager Joe Espada nor general manager Dana Brown said they were overly concerned with Hader’s health, especially this early in the spring.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” Brown said, per MLB.com. “The big thing is he feels really good. At the end of the day, he was building up and this is expected. You’re going to get soreness when you’re coming off an injury. You’re definitely going to get soreness. I feel confident he’s going to be all right, mainly because he feels really good.”
Hader, among the best relievers in baseball during his career, had 28 saves and a 2.05 ERA in 48 appearances for Houston in 2025.
