Houston Astros star closer Josh Hader will be sidelined for three weeks due to a left shoulder capsule strain.

The Houston Astros officially announced today that All-Star closer Josh Hader has been diagnosed with a left shoulder capsule strain. Hader will undergo approximately three weeks of shoulder rehabilitation during which he will not pitch. The club stated, "Once this period is over, we will determine the next steps."

This is undoubtedly bad news for the Astros. Since July 6, they have squandered a seven-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West.

Hader's absence for any length of time is a significant blow to the Astros' bullpen and will force some relievers to shift roles, but Houston's bullpen is now much thinner than when Hader was healthy. This marks Hader's sixth All-Star selection this year.

Last Saturday against the Yankees in New York, Hader threw a season-high 36 pitches, completing two innings. In Monday's victory, he warmed up late in the game but did not enter. This was his seventh multi-inning appearance this season. He reported shoulder discomfort in Houston on Tuesday, which prevented him from pitching in the win against the Red Sox.

Before Wednesday's game, the Astros activated reliever Shawn Dubin from the injured list (forearm strain). He made only one out in the 14-1 victory in Boston, allowing four earned runs, including two home runs. Colton Gordon gave up five runs (four earned) in relief on Wednesday before being sent down to Triple-A, while right-hander Jordan Weems was called up from Triple-A.

Manager Joe Espada did not specify which relievers would take on which roles, but it is likely that pitchers Bryan Abreu and left-hander Bennett Sousa will handle closing duties for the majority of the time. Before Thursday, Abreu had a 1.67 ERA in 53 games, leading all MLB relievers with 79 strikeouts, but he has issued 25 walks in 54 innings pitched.

Left-hander Bryan King typically handles the seventh inning when the team is ahead, but he has allowed five runs in the past six innings pitched before Thursday, including four home runs. Sousa (2.64 ERA) has appeared in 41 games this season, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

Right-hander Kaleb Ort had not allowed a run in his last seven appearances before Thursday, but his performance has been inconsistent. The club signed veteran Enyel De Los Santos to a major league contract last Friday, and he pitched a scoreless inning in his Houston debut on Tuesday.

“I feel good about all these players,” Espada said. “For me, I’ve been talking to these relievers to understand Josh Hader and how successful he has been, and he needs teammates to hand him the lead when he comes in. So all these players have helped him become the closer he is now. This is not to diminish Josh. Josh might be the best, but you need players to help him get to that position, and these players are capable of doing that.”

In his second five-year, $95 million contract, Hader has appeared in 48 games for Houston this year, achieving 28 saves with an ERA of 2.05. Among AL relievers, he is tied for second in saves and ranks third in strikeouts, behind only Abreu and Griffin Jax. He began the year by converting all 25 of his save opportunities, setting a team record.