Astros Shift Tatsuya Imai to Bullpen Ahead of Texas Series

The Houston Astros are transitioning rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai to a relief role starting with their series against Texas this weekend. This decision was confirmed by manager Joe Espada.

This change follows Imai's recent performance, where he was unable to complete the first inning in his last start against Anaheim, allowing one hit and four walks while facing seven batters. Throughout his 15 starts, he has failed to escape the first inning three times and has struggled with consistency, holding a 5.83 earned run average.

Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract last winter, has shown potential in earlier outings, including striking out double digits in consecutive games. However, his high walk rate and average of fewer than four innings per start have led to this adjustment. Cristian Javier, who performed well in relief, may return to the rotation, while the Astros are considering their options for the upcoming games.