The Houston Astros are attempting to ward off the Seattle Mariners in their battle for the No. 1 seed in the American League West, but injuries are making it tough for them. All-Star closer Josh Hader is already expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a left shoulder capsule sprain, and now, the team has received a tough injury update on Bennett Sousa.
In 2025, Sousa has become a key piece of the Astros’ bullpen, and he was expected to be set for a bigger workload with Hader out for the time being. However, he too is now injured, and after hitting the 15-day injured list, Houston received a tough update on his status as they continue to make their playoff push in August.
Astros Get Tough Bennett Sousa Injury Update
Sousa got his first taste of the majors in 2022 with the Chicago White Sox before splitting the 2023 campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers and the Astros. After undergoing surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome, Sousa missed the entire 2024 campaign, and while he didn’t initially make Houston’s major-league team to start the year, he was quickly promoted in April, and he hasn’t looked back.
In 2025, Sousa has appeared in 44 games, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.84 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and four saves. His emergence has been crucial, as he’s helped form a solid unit alongside Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, and Bryan King. With two of those guys out now, though, it has put manager Joe Espada in a bind when it comes to managing his bullpen.
The front office attempted to bring in some help when they signed nine-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel earlier this week, but he hasn’t been all that productive over the past few seasons. Now, they will have to factor in a lengthy absence for Sousa, as it sounds like he won’t be back in action until midway through September at the earliest.
“LHP Bennett Sousa has been diagnosed with a low-grade elbow flexor/pronator strain,” Julia Morales of Space City Home Network shared in a post on X. “He will not throw for a minimum of two weeks and re-evaluated in early September.”
Astros Hoping Bennett Sousa Can Return Sooner Rather Than Later
GettyThe Astros will be without Bennett Sousa for a couple of weeks after his latest injury update
Without Sousa, the Astros are going to need Abreu, Okert, and King to really step up. Beyond that, it would help if Kimbrel could turn back the clock one last time for Houston, as he has the experience needed in the late innings that the team lacks without Hader. With the Mariners just two games behind them in the standings, though, it’s not exactly a great development for the team.
The good news is that, whereas Hader likely is done for the regular season, Sousa could still return next month. It’s going to be up to the rest of the Astros bullpen to keep the team afloat in his absence, and it starts with picking up a series victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday after earning a hard-fought 10-7 victory on Friday.
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