Astros' Tatsuya Imai to make return next week following rehab stint

On Tuesday night, the Houston Astros were dealt a major blow to their roster, as it was revealed that Carlos Correa had suffered a season-ending injury in his left ankle as he was preparing for a match against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Puerto Rican infielder had gotten off to a solid start to the campaign, slashing a respectable .279/.369/.418 with three home runs and 16 RBIs to his name. This is the latest injury to impact Houston’s lineup, as the likes of Yanier Diaz, Joey Loperfido, and Jeremy Pena have all landed on the injured list for various reasons.

Astros to regain Tatsuya Imai

Astros GM Dana Brown said Tatsuya Imai will start during next week's series against Seattle. Presuming they want to keep Imai on five days of rest, that would be the opener on Monday.

However, it appears that the Astros are set to get some good news, as it was revealed that Tatsuya Imai is set to make his return to the major league roster in the coming days after spending some time in the minor leagues, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.

The Japanese ace was sent to Houston’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates for some rehab appearances after he was put on the injured list due to right arm fatigue. Across his multiple appearances in the minor leagues, Imai wouldn’t record a win, but would fan five batters while allowing six earned runs.

His most recent appearance came with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Tuesday night, where he would struggle with command issues, walking five batters in three innings of work.

These issues have been a part of the Japanese player’s start ot life in the Major Leagues, having a BB9 of 11.4 in his three appearances with Houston this season.

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