Houston Astros pitcher, Tatsuya Imai, has struggled to adjust in his first few months in MLB.
The Japanese pitcher signed with the Astros for a reported $54 million dollars over three years according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com
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Through his 12.2 IP, he was accumulated a 9.24 ERA and a WHIP of 2.053.
The 28-year-old posted a 3.15 ERA through 8 seasons in “Nippon Professional Baseball” or NPB, Japan’s equivalent to Major League Baseball.
Several Japanese pitchers have made their way to the United States in the last few seasons.
Some notable names are Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. As well as Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga.
While Iami is currently struggling, it’s a pattern that is not uncommon for Japanese pitchers making the transition to Major League Baseball.
The aforementioned Sasaki currently has a 5.14 ERA through his 70 IP in the Major Leagues.
While Imai has only had four starts this season, he is averaging slightly over 3 IP per start, but with plenty of season left, Houston fans should refrain from hitting the panic button just yet.
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