"At this point, it's hard to know what to make of Imai. He has been pretty dominant in Japan for the past few years but MLB clubs were apparently skeptical of how he would translate to North American ball. While it was thought he could secure a long-term deal with a nine-figure guarantee, he settled for a three-year, $54MM deal with opt-outs after each season."
"The control issues are a concerning development, considering that had been an issue in his time in Japan. From 2019 to 2023, he finished each season with a walk rate of at least 11.4%. He did show improvement, dropping that to 9.8% in 2024 and then 7% last year. For reference, MLB average is usually around 8 to 9%. In his three starts for the Astros this year, he walked 25% of the batters he faced."
"Per Rome, the plan was for just one rehab outing but he allowed five earned runs in two innings while walking three. The Astros decided to give him a second rehab outing, hoping for four or five innings with fewer walks. He got through three innings but walked five."
The Houston Astros are preparing to bring Tatsuya Imai back from the injured list to pitch against the Mariners, despite disappointing rehabilitation performance. Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal with opt-outs, has struggled significantly in his MLB transition after dominating in Japan. His first start lasted less than three innings, his third start produced only one out, and he landed on the injured list with arm fatigue. During rehab assignments, Imai allowed five earned runs in two innings with three walks in his first outing, then walked five batters in three innings in his second attempt. His control issues are particularly concerning given his historical walk rate problems, though he had improved to 7% last season. This season with Houston, he has walked 25% of batters faced.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]