<p>Hader’s health is a key variable for Houston’s bullpen durability. After a shoulder capsule sprain and IL stint, he’s steadily improving, with imaging showing progress but no definitive timeline before throwing resumes full-bore.</p><p>His elite closer production remains a cornerstone, but recovery risk and innings management will shape bullpen usage in 2026 and fantasy leagues that depend on saves and ratios.</p>

Hader’s big-ticket closer role yielded 28 saves but uneven late-inning impact, underscoring the gamble of investing to close the game when the rest of the roster is unsettled.

Hader landed on the IL on Aug. 12 with a shoulder capsule strain and did not return, outlining the bullpen vulnerability Houston faced late in the season.

Hader spent time on the IL during a season dominated by injuries, affecting Houston’s late-game stability.

<p>Hader’s status as the closer highlighted the bullpen’s fragility. While he offered bullpen stability, injuries elsewhere and rotational fragility overshadowed his impact and reflected the broader durability challenge facing Houston.</p>