Astros shifting Imai to 'pen after only recording 2 outs in last start

HOUSTON -- Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who recorded only two outs in his most recent start Monday against the Angels in Anaheim, will be available to pitch out of the bullpen during Houston’s pivotal series against the Rangers this weekend, manager Joe Espada said Friday.

The move comes as no surprise, considering the struggling Imai has a 5.83 ERA in 58 2/3 innings over 15 starts this year, including three in which he didn’t escape the first inning. Espada said after meeting with Imai on Tuesday in Anaheim that the team identified some things he can work on, but he fell short of addressing his future in the rotation at that time.

He did that Friday when he announced the bullpen move.

“Hopefully we can give Imai a few innings during this series, but for now we have a pretty good plan here moving forward to see if we can get him back [on track],” Espada said. “We’re going to go one inning at a time and make sure we give him enough time to bring him into the game. For now, that’s how we’re going to be handling Imai for this series.”

Right-hander Cristian Javier threw five scoreless innings in relief Monday and appears poised to return to the rotation for Sunday’s series finale against the Rangers. Javier threw a bullpen Friday at Daikin Park, which a starting pitcher usually does two days prior to a start. Still, Espada wouldn’t commit to Javier starting on Sunday.

Right-hander Peter Lambert also threw a bullpen on Friday and could start Sunday on four days of rest.

Imai, signed to a three-year, $54 million deal in the offseason after a successful career in Japan, earlier this year cited the condition of some pitching mounds, the different-sized baseballs in the Major Leagues and even different eating times as reasons why he had struggled so much.

“Even though I’m moving to the bullpen, it’s the same thing,” said Imai, whose career bullpen experience was limited in Japan. “I want to perform for the team and win for the team.”

The Astros have been trying to get Imai to better utilize a third pitch beyond the slider that he’s thrown 45.4 percent of the time and the four-seamer he’s thrown 42.7 percent. He has an elite whiff rate (31.6 percent) and strikeout rate (27.2) but has allowed 40 walks (6.14 per nine innings).

“We are working with him and want to get him right, because when he’s on the mound and he’s a starter, his stuff is really good,” Espada said. “The swing and miss can be effective. We’ve got to get him right.”

Espada has not said whether Imai will return to the rotation at some point. The Astros got veterans Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco back to the rotation from Tommy John surgery in recent weeks. Lambert has made a team-high 18 starts this year, followed by Spencer Arrighetti (17) and Mike Burrows (17), who’s on the injured list. Ace Hunter Brown made his 10th start Friday against the Rangers after missing 2 1/2 months.

Imai said he was in no position as a rookie to question the Astros’ decision.

“Eventually I want to be back as a starter,” he said. “The Astros signed me as a starter, so that’s how I want to perform. But as of right now, that’s what the team decided, so I just want to perform well and get the win as a team.”

Imai, 28, was a three-time All-Star in NPB, including 2024 and ’25. He emerged as an ace-level pitcher in Japan over the past several years -- he's posted an ERA under 3.00 and struck out more than a batter per inning in each of the past three seasons. But the 2025 season was arguably the best of his career. He went 10-5 with a career-best 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings and contributed to a combined no-hitter for the Lions.