Imai's Rehab Start: Astros Hope for Boost

0:00It's April 30th. This is MLB News Today, AI-powered stories from around the league. I'm Cory with the story. Astros Pitcher, Tatsuya Imae, took a big step forward in his recovery from arm fatigue with a rehab start Tuesday night at Double A Corpus Christi. He gave up five runs and just over two innings and struggled with control, throwing only 31 of 59 pitches for strikes. But the key was his health, no fatigue, and his stuff looks sharp. Manager Joe Aspada gave the green light on that front before Thursday's double header against the Orioles. He said Imae's arm felt fine, even if the overall performance wasn't great. Aspada planned to chat with the 27-year-old Japanese star right before the first game, Imae signed a three-year $54 million deal with Houston back in early January, bringing high hopes to a rotation that's been banged up. Before landing on the 15-day injured list, he posted a 7.27 ERA over three starts, with control issues plaguing him he walked at.

1:03Least three batters each time, including one dominant outing where he tossed five and two-thirds scoreless frames. Now, with Hunter Brown and Christian Javier also sidelined, the Astros are desperate for arms. They haven't named a starter yet for Sunday series finale in Boston, which lines up perfectly if he my gets the nod on normal rest. That return could happen soon, shaking up the staff and giving Houston a boost as they push through these injuries. Keep an eye on the lineup announcement. It might just be game on for Imae.