Scouting Report: Tatsuya Imai

Summary

Tatsuya Imai, the Japanese right-hander signed to a 3-year, $54M contract by the Houston Astros, has struggled significantly in his MLB transition. After posting a 7.27 ERA in his first three starts, he was placed on the 15-day IL due to right arm fatigue on April 12. During his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land, Imai continued to show alarming command issues, walking 8 batters while striking out only 5 across 5 innings. In his return start against the Seattle Mariners, he allowed 6 earned runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 hit-by-pitches in a disastrous outing that included a grand slam. His ERA has ballooned to 9.24. Imai has attributed some struggles to adjusting to MLB conditions including the pitch clock, different baseball, pitcher's mound, and meal schedule. The Astros remain committed to getting him back on track despite the poor performance.