Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai has struggled to adjust in the Major League Baseball following a three-year, $54 million deal in the offseason. The 27-year-old Japanese right-hander was placed on IL after just three starts with right arm fatigue.
While the imaging results turned out positive, Imai is yet to adjust to the new schedule both on and off the field. The club is now focusing on building his arm strength and adjusting to a larger MLB ball.
“He’s not able to adjust to the American lifestyle,” Tatsuya Imai’s interpreter, Shio Enomoto, said. “Baseball and outside of baseball. That’s probably the reason (for his arm fatigue).”
While there’s no timeline for Imai’s return, Astros manager Joe Espada is remaining “pretty positive” on his comeback. In his first 8 ⅔ innings, Imai has a 7.27 ERA.
“I think the strength of the arm is still not quite there yet, but it’s coming around. All the tests have come back (with) no issues. Just trying to get that strength back,” manager Joe Espada said. “Once the arm strength starts coming back, then we can start talking about him playing catch.”
Following Friday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, Tatsuya Imai addressed the mound at T-Mobile Park as “really hard” to pitch. He’s also troubled with the 64-degree weather, which is “not usual in Japan.”
Astros general manager discusses Tatsuya Imai’s adjustment to MLB
Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown talked about Tatsuya Imai’s adjustment issue in MLB on Astros radio 790 AM. He said the team is helping the player fit in and adjust to a new environment.
“You have to remember the human element as well,” Dana Brown said. “There’s an adjustment period. He’s used to eating at certain times … if he feels like there’s a mound difference, there’s a difference to the baseball, these are all growing pains where guys learn to make adjustments.”
Apart from the weather, MLB ball, and the mound issues, Imai also brought up the meal timings as an ongoing adjustment process. The Houston Astros recently completed their 10-game road trip, and the Japanese pitcher found it hard to cope with.
Imai said that he usually has meals in a hotel after a game, but here the players have their dinner at the stadium. The timing for it is also something the Japanese pitcher is not used to. However, he’s open to adjustment and believes it’ll all be fine once he tries to make some changes.
Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
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