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Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai signed with the Houston Astros this offseason and the transition to the American lifestyle hasn’t been easy for him.
Imai, 27, was recently placed on the disabled list with fatigue in his right arm, and in his first comments since the injury, he said, through an interpreter, that adapting to the American lifestyle could be the reason.
“He’s not able to adapt to the American lifestyle,” Imai’s interpreter Shio Enomoto said, according to The Athletic. “Baseball and outside of baseball. That’s probably the reason (for his arm fatigue).”
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai returns to the dugout after being pulled during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle, Washington, on April 10, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
Through an interpreter, Imai said the timing of players’ dinner after a game is different, along with the travel.
“For example, traveling is different from Japan,” Imai said, according to Enomoto. “The time when the players eat. In Japan, when they return to the hotel, they have dinner. Here, the players eat in the stadium.”
“He thought it would be the same as in Japan, for example, dining at the hotel.”
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Houston Astros starter Tatsuya Imai reacts after allowing a run on a wild pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle, Washington, on April 10, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
Imai said he will use his time on the IL to adjust and “try to get better.” He currently has no timetable for his return and is one of three Astros starting pitchers on the disabled list.
Imai pitched in the NPB for eight seasons and posted a 3.15 ERA in 159 starts and became one of the best starting pitchers in the league.
The Astros signed Imai to a three-year, $54 million contract in the offseason, but the right-hander struggled before landing on the disabled list. In three starts, he had a 7.27 ERA in his first 8.2 major league innings.
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Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai warms up before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Houston, Texas, on April 15, 2026. (Kevin M. Cox/AP Photo)
In his last start, he only recorded one out against the Seattle Mariners before leaving with an injury. He allowed three runs on one hit, four walks and one hit before departing.
The Astros (8-11), who have won two straight over the Colorado Rockies (6-12), will look to complete the three-game sweep when they play the Rockies on Thursday at 8:10 p.m. ET.
