In Photos: Josh Hader's wife Maria's heartwarming capture proves son Lucas has inherited more than just looks from Astros star dad

For pitcher Josh Hader's young family, the past few months have brought significant changes. However, despite adjusting to Hader playing on a new team, the closer's wife and son remain his top fans.

Hader's wife, Maria, recently shared an image on Instagram. It highlighted the similarity between Hader and Lucas, their three-year-old son.

Lucas Hader impersonating his father Josh

The posted picture showed Lucas with a glove on his head, accompanied by the caption "Josh 2.0." Maria then posted a photo of Hader pulling off the same stunt to back up her claim.

A former NL saves leader, Hader spent considerable time on the free agency market this season. The left-hander was thought to be holding out for a five-year, $100 million contract. However, Hader eventually agreed to the terms of a four-year, $95 million deal with the Houston Astros in January.

For Hader, the deal came soon after a strong 2023 campaign. As a member of the San Diego Padres last year, the Maryland native went 2-3, pitching to a 1.28 ERA. He struck out some 85 batters over 56 innings on the mound.

However, despite being touted as a strong addition to the Astros bullpen, Hader's numbers in 2024 make this year the worst of his career. In just 12.2 innings, Hader surrendered nine earned runs, giving the 30-year-old a 6.39 ERA on the season. These figures have undoubtedly contributed to the Astros' bullpen's combined 4.77 ERA, which now ranks 24th out of 30 teams.

"@Astros Closer Josh Hader pitching multiple innings in April shows the team is in "urgency" mode, says @ChandlerRome" - Foul Territory

Josh Hader is embracing a pivotal new role with the Astros

From his time with the Milwaukee Brewers and Padres, from 2017 until 2023, Josh Hader has been used exclusively as a closer. However, due to the Astros' difficulty winning games, Hader has been making more appearances. On April 30, Hader pitched more than one inning for the first time since 2020. After the 10-0 victory over Cleveland, Houston manager Joe Espada told AP:

“That’s something that I don’t really like doing, but when I went up to him he said, ‘Yes, I want it.’ So shows how important getting a win was.”

The sorry state of the Astros means that Espada has to get creative, and the utilization of Hader cannot be exempt from that policy.