The numbers from Tatsuya Imai’s rehab start Tuesday in Sugar Land were not encouraging. Three innings, five walks, 27 strikes on 63 pitches. By any measure, it was not the outing the Houston Astros were hoping to see before bringing him back to the major-league rotation.
They’re bringing him back anyway.
Manager Joe Espada confirmed Wednesday that Imai will make his next start in a major-league game. General manager Dana Brown said that start is projected to come against the Seattle Mariners in the series at Daikin Park beginning next Monday.
“The first two innings were clean and crisp, stuff looked really good,” Espada said. “Third inning, struggled to throw some strikes. But we feel good about where he’s at right now.”
Command has been the central problem since Imai arrived from Japan’s NPB, where he posted a 1.92 ERA with 45 walks in 163⅔ innings in his final season with the Seibu Lions. He walked just one batter in six Grapefruit League innings this spring. In three regular-season starts, he threw just 40% of his pitches in the strike zone, totaling 11 walks in 8⅔ innings and posting a 7.27 ERA before being placed on the injured list April 13 with arm fatigue.
After Tuesday’s rehab outing, Imai offered some insight into what he is navigating. The pitch clock is one factor. Game preparation is another.
“In Japan, we don’t have a pitch clock, and I am able to take more time between pitches,” Imai said through an interpreter. “Also, before games: In Japan, I can take some time every pitch and I can throw inside to the lefty, get a first-pitch strike with sliders. Here, we do scouting reports and we talk about the weakness of the hitters. I’m thinking I want to talk about more the strengths that I have, like using slider on the first pitch, get more strikes with the slider and other pitches as well.”
The Astros’ message to Imai is straightforward. “Your stuff will play at the major-league level, but you have to get in the strike zone,” Brown said. “Don’t overthink it and just lock in and be yourself.”
The Astros have little choice but to give Imai the opportunity. With Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier both on the 60-day IL with shoulder strains, Mike Burrows and Lance McCullers Jr. are the only active members of the season-opening rotation. Spencer Arrighetti and Peter Lambert have pitched well since being called up from Triple-A, but the club is still operating with four regular starters and begins a stretch of 13 games with no off day on Friday. Imai is needed.
“We went out and we got him because he belongs in this rotation—this rotation, the Astros rotation,” Espada said. “We need him to be the guy that we know he’s capable of being and he’s ready to go. We’re going to get him in here and we’re going to get him right.”
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