HOUSTON -- Astros starter Tatsuya Imai, who is on the 15-day injured list with right arm fatigue, played catch on Thursday at Daikin Park, but said he doesn’t know when he will be able to get back on the pitcher's mound.
The Astros said Tuesday that imaging performed on Imai’s shoulder and arm last week came back clean, so the team’s focus is on building up arm strength. When asked Thursday about his arm fatigue, Imai’s interpreter said: “He said that ... while in-game, he wasn't able to have any grip strength."
Since putting four starting pitchers on the injured list in the first three weeks of the season, the Astros have had trouble having starters work deep into games. They essentially employed a bullpen game in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Rockies at Daikin Park, with Ryan Weiss allowing two runs, four walks and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his first Major League start.
Houston’s other three long relievers -- Christian Roa, AJ Blubaugh and Kei-Wei Teng -- combined to allow one run in 5 1/3 innings, but the Astros are now forced to bring up another fresh arm from Triple-A. Peter Lambert, who has a 1.84 ERA in 14 2/3 innings in Triple-A, will be activated to start Friday’s series opener against the Cardinals. He will be the 10th different starting pitcher for the Astros in 21 games.
Weiss, Roa and Teng were all offseason additions along with Imai, who signed to a three-year, $54 million contract in January. He was placed on the injured list following his start last Friday in Seattle in which he recorded one out and allowed three runs and four walks. He said after the game that the mound at T-Mobile Park was hard, and earlier in the year, he said he had difficulty adjusting to the ball used in the Major Leagues.
Imai said Tuesday he was having trouble adjusting to the American lifestyle.
"The travel is different from Japan, and also the timing when players eat,” the interpreter said, summarizing Imai's comments. “In Japan, the players, when they get back to the hotel, they eat their dinner. But here, the players eat at the stadium, so that’s one of the things that [I] have to adjust.”
Imai came straight from Japan to Florida for Spring Training, and the team’s first road trip of the season covered three cities in 12 days -- West Sacramento, Denver and Seattle -- a whirlwind for someone trying to adjust to a new culture. Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that he’s reached out to other managers who have had Japanese players and asked for advice on how to help them to adjust to life on and off the field.
“They all say the same thing -- it’s going to take some time,” he said. “Just be sure to extend your arm and be more than just a manager. Be someone they can talk to, because that relationship between manager and Japanese player is different than in the [United] States, especially the way I am. I like to engage and bring the guys to the office and talk about family and friends and stuff like that. It’s part of the transition, and we’re going to help him with it.”
Espada said he’s willing to help Imai with off-the-field activities away from baseball, as he is with any of his players. He believes Imai will get more comfortable and “free” with time. Espada had to adjust to the United States when he got a baseball scholarship to the University of Mobile, so he knows what Imai is going through.
“There’s always a transition period,” Espada said. “We’re always asking questions, we’re always looking for someone who is mentoring us and leading us in the right direction. I understand Imai. We all are on his side and we’re going to do everything in our power to help him.”
Houston currently has 13 players on the injured list, five of whom landed there during the road trip: Ace right-hander Hunter Brown (Grade 2 shoulder strain), right-hander Cristian Javier (Grade 2 shoulder strain), center fielder Jake Meyers (Grade 2 right oblique strain), shortstop Jeremy Peña (Grade 1 hamstring strain) and Imai.
Starting pitcher Cody Bolton went on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, three days after he left his start in Seattle with mid-back tightness. He was struck in the back by a line drive during his April 6 start in Colorado and needs more time for it to heal.