Honestly, I still have hope for Tatsuya Imai. While his first season in MLB hasn’t gone according to plan, the right-hander has had flashes of potential, albeit inconsistently. And “inconsistently” doesn’t feel like a strong enough word right now. I mean, it is nearly impossible to determine if his next start will be six innings or even just one. That kind of unreliability is maddening, especially for a team not exactly flush with adequate depth in the rotation and still trying to qualify for the postseason.
But since May 31 against the Brewers, when Imai started opposite of Jacob Misiorowski, the general trends have been somewhat encouraging. Again, that inconsistency is a real problem for Imai. Three starts in his last eight have failed to go more than four innings. Two of those starts have seen him generate only two and four outs.
But as one can gather from the screenshot above, you don’t strike out 21 across 12 innings in back-to-back starts by accident. Imai’s slider and its variations, in particular, have had its notable moments. Of course, the primary issue with him is consistently throwing strikes and attacking the strike zone. If he can do that early in a start, you feel good about his chances. But, if he doesn’t find the zone after the first batter or two, you’re likely looking at a short appearance.
Astros @ Angels Game Information and Gamethread Details
And Imai starts against the Angels on Monday night. He’ll either be great or terrible. The Angels’ starter, Walbert Ureña, is a pitcher to watch, though. The 22-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut this season and has a 1.15 ERA in his last three starts. In 87.1 innings across 18 starts, Ureña has a 2.78 ERA/3.81 FIP this season. Walks are something to watch with him, with a 12.4% walk rate so far.
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Feature photo from Astros on X
