When All-Star closer Josh Hader recently went down with a shoulder injury, it left a huge gaping hole at the back end of the bullpen for the Houston Astros. With the expectation that Hader won’t be returning for the rest of the regular season, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Astros went into panic mode searching for a replacement.
But of all people, Houston has turned to former Philadelphia Phillies scapegoat Craig Kimbrel as the potential solution to their bullpen down the stretch. Unlike his predecessors that inked him to just minor league deals with his abilities in doubt, the Astros surprisingly signed Kimbrel to a major league contract on Thursday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.