AL West Check-In: Astros lefty reliever to open season on IL

Houston Astros lefty reliever Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list with a strained oblique, marking the latest blow to the club's bullpen.

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mar 20, 2026, 2:12 PM

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 13: Bennett Sousa #62 of the Houston Astros pitches during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park on August 13, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros left-hander Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada said Thursday.

Sousa, 30, strained his left oblique in a Grapefruit League game last Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Sousa returned to Houston for further testing, but Espada said he would “be down for a while.”

“We’re going to not have him throw until that pain goes away,” Espada said.

Last year was a breakout season for Sousa after sitting out the 2024 season due to injury. He appeared in 44 games in 2025, and posted a 2.84 ERA across 50 2/3 innings with 59 strikeouts. But Sousa landed on the injured list on Aug. 20 with left elbow inflammation and didn’t return.

The loss of Sousa is the latest blow to Houston’s bullpen. Last week, Espada said All-Star closer Josh Hader will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. Hader did not appear in any spring training games, and his buildup will extend past the Astros’ opener against the Los Angeles Angles on March 26.

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