Hader gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning Friday, recording his second save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Nationals. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

It was another bumpy outing for the left-hander, but after CJ Abrams came around to score following a leadoff triple, Hader was able to strike out Joey Meneses and Nick Senzel with runners on first and second to end the threat. Hader's been tagged for runs in five of his 11 appearances to begin the season, and his control and command both seem to be lacking so far. He carries an 8.38 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB through 9.2 innings, but the strikeouts at least are a sign that he should turn things around.

Hader yielded four runs on four hits and a walk in Monday's loss to Atlanta. He recorded one out via strikeout.

EDGE Analysis

Hader entered the game in a non-save situation with Atlanta leading 2-1. He put five straight runners on base and threw a wild pitch, resulting in four runs to be charged against him. The All-Star closer has not yet found any consistency in his first season with Houston; Hader has just one save with a 9.39 ERA through 7.2 frames.

Hader allowed a run on one hit and a walk in one inning Sunday and earned a save over Texas.

EDGE Analysis

After walking Adolis Garcia, Hader moved him up to second base with a wild pitch and eventually saw him score on a Justin Foscue single. Despite the struggles, Hader finished off the 3-1 win and earned his first save as an Astro. He's coughed up four runs over his last three innings, bumping his ERA up to 7.20 through five appearances.

Hader (0-2) blew the save and took the loss Tuesday against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on two hits in one inning.

EDGE Analysis

Heading into the ninth with a 1-0 lead, Hader had Toronto down to its final out with the bases empty. However, Justin Turner drew a two-out walk before Davis Schneider launched a two-run homer, saddling Hader with a blown save en route to his second loss this season. The 29-year-old left-hander has allowed three runs on four hits and two walks through his first four innings this season, but while it's been a rough start to his tenure in Houston, Hader figures to have a firm grasp on the Astros' closing job after racking up 33 saves with a 1.28 ERA over 56.1 innings with the Padres last year.

Astros manager Joe Espada said that Hader is unavailable for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hader pitched in three of the four games against the Yankees in the Astros' opening series. He took the loss in the third contest after giving up one run on two hits while striking out two in one inning. With Bryan Abreu also unavailable Monday, the Astros will likely turn to Ryan Pressly to fill in as the closer if necessary.

Hader (0-1) took the loss Sunday, yielding one run on two hits and no walks during one inning. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Hader took the mound in the ninth during a 3-3 tie but was unable to get through the inning unscathed. He surrendered back-to-back singles to Gleyber Torres and Juan Soto, with Soto's knock plating Torres after Torres stole second. Sunday's outing was Hader's first blemish of 2024 after giving up no hits and fanning five in his first two appearances (2.0 innings).

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Hader will be the team's closer this season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

There didn't seem to be much doubt after Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract last month, but Espada made it official after speaking to both Hader and Ryan Pressly on Tuesday. Pressly could net the occasional save on days when Hader is unavailable, but clearly his fantasy outlook takes a major hit. Hader collected a 1.28 ERA and 85:30 K:BB over 56.1 innings while recording 33 saves for the Padres in 2023.

Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Astros on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coming off a phenomenal season in which Hader logged a 1.28 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through 56.1 innings while racking up 33 saves, the 29-year-old southpaw will join the Astros on the most lucrative deal for a reliever in MLB history, based on present-day value. This will be Hader's second stint with the Astros organization -- he spent roughly two years in Houston's farm system before being traded to the Brewers in 2015. He will almost certainly take over as the Astros' primary closer, moving Ryan Pressly into a setup role.

The Astros are making a big effort to sign Hader, Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic are reporting.

EDGE Analysis

If the Astros were to sign Hader, it would create quite a ripple in the closer pool, as Hader is unlikely to share the save duties with Ryan Pressly. The Astros just got the news that Kendall Graveman is out for the season, so they need more premium depth in their bullpen.

Hader picked up the save in Friday's 3-2 victory over the White Sox. He allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out zero over one inning.

EDGE Analysis

It was far from a clean outing for Hader, who allowed a solo homer to Carlos Perez to lead off the inning, then gave up a walk and hit a batter prior to inducing Yoan Moncada to ground into a game-ending double play. Friday's appearance marks only the sixth time in 60 appearances that Hader has allowed an earned run this season while maintaining a 1.30 ERA, 1.12 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 55.1 innings.