The Astros’ Tatsuya Imai is blaming “the American lifestyle” for his early big league struggles.
The Japanese right-hander, who signed a three-year deal worth up to $63 million with Houston over the offseason after eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, was recently put on the injured list with arm fatigue, and he said he may know the culprit.
Imai said through an interpreter on Tuesday that not being “able to adjust to the American lifestyle, other than baseball. Baseball and outside of baseball. That’s probably the reason,” for his throwing arm troubles, according to The Athletic.
Some subtle changes have made it hard for him to acclimate, Imai added.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai walks back to the dugout after being taken out of the game during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Seattle. AP “For example, the travel is different from Japan,” Imai continued. “The timing when the players eat. In Japan, when they get back to the hotel, they eat their dinner. Here, the players eat at the stadium.”
Imai, 27, has been awful in three outings for the Astros thus far this season, allowing seven earned runs and walking 11 batters in just 8 ⅔ innings.
In his last start on Friday, Imai allowed three runs in just the ⅓ of an inning after surrendering one hit and four walks while also hitting a batter.
He complained about the weather — mid-60s and windy — and that the pitcher’s mound at T-Mobile Park in Seattle was “really hard” after the disastrous start.
“In Japan, there’s only six stadiums we go around during the season,” Imai said, per The Athletic. “But here, we have to go to 30 stadiums and adjust to the mound in their stadium. That’s what I have to figure out, how to adjust to those mounds.”
While it’s still early, the Astros had hoped Imai, a three-time All-Star in Japan, would be a key part of their starting rotation this year and going forward.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai reacts after allowing a run against the Seattle Mariners on a wild pitch during the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Seattle. AP Last season with the Seibu Tigers, Imai posted a 1.92 ERA across 24 starts.
As a team, the Astros are off to a slow start in 2026, sitting at 6-11 heading into Tuesday’s play, which is the worst record in baseball to date.
