Tatsuya Imai Fantasy Stats

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) played light catch on the field at Daikin Park before Thursday's contest against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a team trainer nearby, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Imai was put on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue. The good news is that the first-year MLB player isn't dealing with any structural damage to his arm. The early returns from the 27-year-old through his first three major-league starts weren't great, as he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13 in 8 2/3 innings pitched. Imai will be eligible to return from the IL later this month, but the Astros may take things slowly and not rush him back to the starting rotation, even with the Astros dealing with plenty of early-season injuries to their rotation arms.

Imaging on Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai's right arm came back clean and "positive," according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros will try to increase his arm strength before Imai resumes throwing. The 27-year-old is definitely struggling in his adjustment from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball. The Astros placed him on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue just three starts into his career in the big leagues. And in his first three starts (8 2/3 innings), Imai has struggled, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits while walking 11 and striking out 13. It's certainly not what fantasy managers were envisioning for Imai to begin his Astros tenure in 2026. The good news, though, is that Imai isn't dealing with any structural damage, and it's still early in his first year in MLB. Don't expect a quick return to Houston's starting rotation, though, as the Astros look to build up his arm strength, which will take time.

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai (arm) is going on the 15-day injured list on Monday with right-arm fatigue, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. It's a bad start to Imai's MLB career. The 27-year-old is reportedly going through a "dead-arm" phase, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible to return later this month. The Japanese hurler only got through one-third of an inning in his most recent start before being sent back to Houston for tests on his right arm. Through his first three starts with the Astros, Imai has disappointed with a 7.27 ERA (4.30 FIP), 2.08 WHIP, and 13:11 K:BB in 8 2/3 innings pitched. Ima's injury is just the latest in a long string of injuries that have decimated the Astros' starting rotation early in the 2026 season, as Hunter Brown (shoulder), Cristian Javier (shoulder), Hayden Wesneski (elbow), Ronel Blanco (elbow), and Randon Walter (elbow) are all on the injured list.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (arm) headed back to Houston for an examination on his arm. The official word is that Imai is dealing with right arm fatigue. The right-hander was horrible in his latest start, where he walked four batters and allowed earned runs before being pulled after only recording one out. It wouldn't be shocking to see Imai land on the Injured List for a short period of time. The rookie right-hander could become the third Astros starter to land on the IL since Opening Day. This is bad news for the Astros' rotation that is quickly running out of quality depth options to fill into their rotation. Fantasy managers should check back for another update on Imai.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai struggled in his MLB debut on Sunday, allowing three hits, four walks, and four earned runs while striking out four over 2 2/3 innings in his team's 9-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Imai comes to the Astros after a lengthy professional career in Japan, where he largely logged excellent results. Across 163 2/3 innings (24 starts) for the Seibu Lions in 2025, Imai posted a 10-5 record with a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 178 strikeouts. While Imai lowered his walk rate to 7% in 2025, he posted double-digit walk rates in each of his first six professional seasons from 2018 through 2023. If his first start in the big leagues is any indication, command and control could be an issue for Imai in 2026. It's too early for fantasy managers to panic after just one start, but Imai will obviously need to pitch better in the weeks to come. His next outing is currently scheduled for Saturday in Sacramento against the Athletics.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai has looked solid in spring training, allowing just two hits and one walk while picking up seven strikeouts in six innings. He worked three perfect innings with four strikeouts against the Marlins last Wednesday. The fact that he only has one walk is especially important since his control has been an issue at times in his eight years in the NPB in Japan. Last year, the righty posted a career-best 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163 2/3 innings, racking up 178 strikeouts but also issuing 45 walks. He has huge upside as he joins the Astros rotation and will help fill in the void left by Framber Valdez's departure via free agency. Imai has looked very sharp and brings great upside as the #44 starting pitcher and #65 overall pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026. If you can snag Imai, as a way to build rotation depth, he has the ceiling to be an elite producer if he successfully transitions to the MLB.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai is gearing up for his first MLB season after eight years in the NPB. During his final international season, the right-hander posted a career-best 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP along with his 9.79 K/9 and 2.47 BB/9. He demonstrated an elite ability to limit hard contact with his 0.33 HR/9 and 48.3% ground ball rate. Moving stateside will definitely present some adversity for Imai, who likely won't repeat quite the same level of success he had in 2025. However, he clearly still has immense upside ahead of his debut season in the United States. Evidently, the Astros agree, as they were willing to pay him $54 million across three years. He'll be tasked with helping fill the void of ace Framber Valdez, who departed for the Detroit Tigers. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier will also slot into top-of-the-rotation roles. As it stands, Imai ranks as the #48 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.