Astros Recall Japanese Pitcher Imai Despite Poor Rehab Performance

The Houston Astros are facing a pitching shortage, forcing them to recall Japanese pitcher Tatsushi Imai despite his recent struggles in rehabilitation games. Imai, who signed a lucrative contract, has had a difficult start to his MLB career, marked by a high ERA and issues adapting to American life and pitching under the pitch clock. His rehab outings have been particularly concerning, with a high number of walks and hits allowed over a short span.

Despite these setbacks, the Astros' management, including general manager Dana Brown, sees no other option but to bring Imai back into the rotation. This decision highlights the team's dire need for starting pitching, even if it means relying on a pitcher who hasn't yet demonstrated MLB readiness. The team hopes that Imai can regain his form and confidence, drawing parallels to his successful pitching style in Japan.

Ace pitcher Hunter Brown offered some insight into Imai's difficulties, suggesting that the Japanese pitcher may be overly respectful of major league hitters. Brown emphasized that Imai's stuff is good enough to succeed in MLB, but he needs to attack the strike zone more aggressively, rather than pitching tentatively. The advice from Brown and the coaching staff is to encourage Imai to 'just be himself' and trust his abilities, a message that seems to be resonating with the pitcher.

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giving major-league hitters “too much credit.”