Challenges and Injury: Tatsuya Imai Is Struggling to Adjust to North America

Last winter, Tatsuya Imai was one of the top free agents on the market. The pitcher, who was coming to the U.S. after several standout seasons in Japan, had plenty to offer many teams.

And in the end, it was the Astros who snagged him.

The problem is that so far, things have been pretty tough for Imai. The Japanese pitcher has a 7.27 ERA in three starts… and he's now on the injured list due to arm fatigue.

Following the announcement, Imai took the time to speak with the media… and basically, he explained that right now, he's having quite a bit of trouble adjusting to life in North America.

In his view, that's likely the reason behind the fatigue in his arm.

Asked what has been difficult outside of baseball, Imai replied through an interpreter: “For example, the travel is different from Japan. The timing when the players eat. In Japan, when they get back to the hotel, they eat their dinner. Here, the players eat at the stadium.” https://t.co/K3YV83NMrF

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 14, 2026

What we understand is that Imai seems to be having a hard time, for example, adjusting to the travel and the times when he eats. He explains that in Japan, players eat at the hotel… but in MLB, the guys eat right at the stadium.

It doesn't seem insurmountable in and of itself, of course… but we can understand that the accumulation of all these little things for an athlete who wants to perform at the peak of his abilities can take some time.

One might think that, over time, Imai will be able to adjust, or the Astros will be able to find ways to help him with the transition. But right now, it seems like a lot for the Japanese pitcher to handle… who could use his time on the injured list to catch his breath.

Let's hope that the Astros—who have committed $54 million to him over the next three years and desperately need help with their pitching staff—will see him find his footing.

Shohei Ohtani won't be batting tonight. He'll be pitching.

Shohei Ohtani will be pitching tonight, but not serving as the DH.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 15, 2026

Solid outing by Trey Yesavage in the AAA.

Yesavage's next step will depend on his feedback and how he feels in the days following the outing. One area for improvement is fastball command, which Schneider says “could get a little bit better.”

It's possible Yesavage's next appearance will be with the Blue Jays.

— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) April 15, 2026

Jorge Soler: suspension reduced to four games.

Jorge Soler's suspension has been reduced to four games, per @JeffFletcherOCR.

He will begin serving it tonight. pic.twitter.com/Yn2MqHugMu

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 15, 2026

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