Houston topped Boston 7-6 in a high-stakes duel that keeps the AL West tight, with Seattle right on Houston’s heels. Alex Bregman returned to Houston and delivered two hits, including a homer, providing a spark for the Astros’ offense in a key divisional tilt. The result compounds the drama at the top of the division as the Astros seek to hold off the Mariners and maintain momentum for fantasy managers monitoring lineups and rotations.

Josh Hader exited after reporting shoulder discomfort; tests are pending, leaving the closer role in flux. Hader has 28 saves and a 2.05 ERA across 52.2 innings, with just one blown save—an elite mark that would make any absence costly for fantasy rosters. If he misses time, Bennett Sousa becomes the interim closer, with Enyel De Los Santos handling eighth-inning duties and the late outs as needed.

The bullpen shuffle matters for fantasy: Sousa is the only Astros reliever with more than one save this year (three), while De Los Santos offered two quick outs in the ninth before Sousa closed out the win against Roman Anthony. Astros officials will await test results, but the door is open for immediate bullpen reallocation should Hader be sidelined, preserving Houston’s slim lead in a race that remains wide open.