The hole to climb out of only seems to get deeper for the Houston Astros just over a month into the season. The most haunted word at the moment for the Astros is injuries. They have already piled up again. The Astros currently have 14 players on the injured list. It felt like the club had made a sufficient amount of changes to address the injury concern, but the problem remains.
Astros Injury News: Josh Hader Rehab & Jeremy Peña Return Dates
Astros Injury Concerns Not Going Away
It still is unclear whether this has been due to extremely terrible luck or the issues among the training staff for players to be healthy. One thing is for certain: Astros players have dealt with some freak injuries and poor timing.
Just when it seems like it couldn’t get worse, it does. The Astros had just gotten a big win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, but in a shocking development the next morning, Carlos Correa was announced to be out for the season with a torn left ankle tendon.
Astros Injury Situation Could Get Better
Many believe that could be the final blow for Houston in 2026, but there are many reinforcements on the way this month. Even with the current 15-23 record, one of the worst in baseball, it’s still possible for the Astros to get back on track. That starts with getting healthier. The state of the AL West helps out as well. The Astros are expected to have multiple key players return in May. Here are the latest Astros injury updates and expected returns.
Let’s start with All-Star closer Josh Hader. According to the Astros injury list, Hader is expected to return on May 24 from left biceps tendinitis. While he was initially placed on the IL on March 25, he was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 17. The soonest he can return in that case is May 24.
Hader was diagnosed with the tendinitis at the start of spring training and has slowly built up his regimen. He missed the last two months of the 2025 season with a left shoulder capsule strain and needed to make sure everything was in good shape.
More on Josh Hader’s Rehab Outing
Hader had his first Minor League rehab outing on Tuesday, where he threw a scoreless outing for Triple-A Sugar Land. He threw 16 pitches total, with nine of them for strikes, while averaging 94 mph on his fastballs. Hader also had one strikeout and allowed one walk. It’s like his spring training period.
This was a good start for the 32-year-old, who the Astros desperately need at the back of the bullpen. Hader was throwing bullpen sessions throughout his recovery and crossed 90 mph in them for the first time in his career. It looks like the velocity is approaching where it should be.
Josh Hader’s 2026 debut!
The @astros closer works a scoreless frame and picks up a K in a rehab outing with the @SLSpaceCowboys 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Xm7KT42gFh
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 6, 2026
Hader was an All-Star for the sixth time in his career last season and posted a 2.05 ERA with 28 saves in 29 opportunities. “Felt different. Felt like I was riding a bike. Some little things I’ve got to clean up, but overall I was trying to be in the zone and throw my offspeed in the zone, which I thought I did very well,” Hader said. “Velo is definitely going to tick up once I get into more games.” His plan is for his next outing to be on Saturday and has six more appearances planned.
Tatsuya Imai Will Return Very Soon
The beginning of Tatsuya Imai’s MLB career has not gone to plan at all. It’s now well known that he has struggled to adjust to the culture and way baseball is played in the United States compared to his home country of Japan. That is usually typical for any Japanese star, but it’s been a little different for Imai. After a disastrous third start where he went just one out, Imai was surprisingly placed on the injured list with arm fatigue even though he didn’t have a specific injury. His arm strength just wasn’t there.
Imai is now expected to return to start for the Astros during the upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners from May 11-14. After a few weeks off, Imai made his first rehab start for Double-A Corpus Christi on April 28 and struggled mightily with five earned runs and six hits in just two innings.
After a week off, Imai did look better at the Triple-A Sugar Land with three innings of one-run ball with one hit given up. He did walk five batters and threw just 27 out of his 63 pitches for strikes. Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract and is now healthy again. The Astros and Imai have to see what he’s got now at the major league level again. The problem is command, and he’s not throwing strikes. Manager Joe Espada was hoping for a four- to five-inning outing with strikes, but that wasn’t there.
Imai has mentioned in the past about how the mound is different as well as the player schedule, besides the language and interpreter issues. He also said the pitch clock isn’t used in Japan. It will take some time to get used to, but the Astros are hoping he can take a step forward like the six shutout innings he threw against the Athletics in his second MLB start.
Big Infield Addition on the Way
Gold Glove shortstop Jeremy Peña is also on his way back from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, and the expected return is mid-May. Peña has been with the team throughout his stint on the injured list and continues to work out and ramp up baseball activities pregame just like he would if he were an active player.
Peña was placed on the IL on April 13. He also dealt with a fractured fingertip during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game. While he was ultimately healthy in time for Opening Day, the Astros staggered his starts. Peña is expected to head out to a rehab assignment after his workouts with the Astros from May 8-10 at the Cincinnati Reds. His return is much needed given Correa is out for the year.
Lance McCullers Jr.’s fingernail fell off during his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, adding to his long injury history. His right index finger “popped off” during the third inning of his outing. McCullers is unsure if he’ll be able to make his next start. Either way, this should be a short-term injury.
More Astros Injury Updates
Right-hander Nate Pearson is also around the corner and is expected to return in mid-May. The offseason acquisition made his first Minor League rehab appearance for Triple-A Sugar Land on May 5. He did struggle with three runs (one earned) along with three walks and two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.
Outfielders Jake Meyers and Joey Loperfido are also expected to return in May from a Grade 2 right oblique strain and right quad strain, respectively. Both have resumed light baseball activities according to the Astros injury list.
Main Image Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
