Bryan Abreu has stumbled badly in Josh Hader's absence, and the Astros may be forced to change the ninth inning if he does not straighten out quickly. Through four appearances, the 29-year-old has worked just 2⅔ innings and posted a 22.63 ERA.
The slide lands at a moment when Houston has already seen what Abreu can do in the role. The Astros have called him their second closer in the past, and last season he ascended to the job on August 9, the day Hader's season ended because of a left shoulder capsule strain. Abreu finished that stretch with a 3.86 ERA while closing, a better return than the current run suggests.
Houston's bullpen also tells the broader story. The group posted a 3.30 ERA with Hader available and a 4.62 ERA without him, a gap that shows how much the late innings can shift when one arm is missing. Abreu's current numbers are based on a minuscule sample, so the club will be careful not to overread four outings, but the number that matters now is the one on the scoreboard when the game turns in the ninth.
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That is where the friction sits for the Astros. They know Abreu has handled the role before, and they know the bullpen has looked better with Hader around. What they do not know yet is whether the 29-year-old can recover fast enough to keep the team from making a change before the games get away from them.
