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The Astros emerged as the surprising suitors for Tatsuya Imai this offseason, signing him to a three-year deal well below what many were expecting. Perhaps his contract fell short because it\u2019s really hard to figure out his arsenal. There were plenty of questions about how his fastball would play against MLB batters and pitch models had a terrible time trying to figure out his slider. That breaking ball is unique to say the least. The pitch has the least amount of horizontal movement of any slider thrown in the majors, and depending on how he locates it, it can look like a screwball at times. The heater has looked really good too, benefitting from a low arm slot and a lot of cutting action. Imai will also pepper in a splitter, changeup, and curveball to round out his pitch mix, but the fastball and slider are the two primary weapons.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Imai couldn\u2019t work out of the first inning in his last start against the Mariners, walking four and allowing a single hit in just 0.1 innings of work. He was placed on the IL with general fatigue after that start in Seattle and will be activated from that list to make a start on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Game 3 Pitching Matchup<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\nPitcher<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nIP<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nK%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nBB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nHR\/FB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nGB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nERA<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nFIP<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n\n| Lance McCullers Jr.<\/td>\n | 34<\/td>\n | 25.0%<\/td>\n | 13.5%<\/td>\n | 16.1%<\/td>\n | 42.7%<\/td>\n | 7.41<\/td>\n | 4.81<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Bryce Miller (2025)<\/td>\n | 90.1<\/td>\n | 18.9%<\/td>\n | 8.7%<\/td>\n | 15.5%<\/td>\n | 37.9%<\/td>\n | 5.68<\/td>\n | 5.17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n RHP Lance McCullers Jr.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nPitch<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nUsage vRHB<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nUsage vLHB<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nVelocity<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nStuff+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nWhiff+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nBIP+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nxwOBA<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n\n| Four-seam<\/td>\n | 3.3%<\/td>\n | 6.5%<\/td>\n | 91.9<\/td>\n | | \n | \n | \n | <\/tr>\n \n| Sinker<\/td>\n | 57.1%<\/td>\n | 13.5%<\/td>\n | 91.4<\/td>\n | 91<\/td>\n | 100<\/td>\n | 177<\/td>\n | 0.349<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Cutter<\/td>\n | 13.7%<\/td>\n | 40.6%<\/td>\n | 89.1<\/td>\n | 94<\/td>\n | 87<\/td>\n | 106<\/td>\n | 0.368<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Changeup<\/td>\n | 16.5%<\/td>\n | 14.5%<\/td>\n | 85.5<\/td>\n | 83<\/td>\n | | \n | \n | <\/tr>\n \n| Curveball<\/td>\n | 9.3%<\/td>\n | 24.9%<\/td>\n | 81.6<\/td>\n | 106<\/td>\n | 151<\/td>\n | 66<\/td>\n | 0.323<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Sweeper<\/td>\n | 35.7%<\/td>\n | 10.5%<\/td>\n | 82.3<\/td>\n | 117<\/td>\n | 92<\/td>\n | 76<\/td>\n | 0.310<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n From a previous series preview:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n Lance McCullers Jr. finally got back on the big league mound last season after missing more than two years following elbow surgery back in 2023. It wasn\u2019t an easy return to his previous form. He struggled with his command throughout the season and his velocity was down two ticks across the board from where he was sitting way back in \u201822. His pitch mix looked a lot different too, with his sweeper taking the place of his trademark curveball as his preferred breaking ball. Command is usually the last skill to return after major elbow surgery and he\u2019s now three years removed from that procedure. I\u2019m not sure we\u2019ll ever see peak McCullers again, but he\u2019s got the deep repertoire and experience to be a solid starter as long as his health holds up.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n The Mariners scored six runs off McCullers in that series in Seattle; he pitched 4.1 innings allowing five hits and two walks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n Game 4 Pitching Matchup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nPitcher<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nIP<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nK%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nBB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nHR\/FB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nGB%<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nERA<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nFIP<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n\n| Mike Burrows<\/td>\n | 44.2<\/td>\n | 21.6%<\/td>\n | 7.2%<\/td>\n | 14.3%<\/td>\n | 37.8%<\/td>\n | 5.04<\/td>\n | 4.65<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Luis Castillo<\/td>\n | 38.1<\/td>\n | 20.8%<\/td>\n | 7.3%<\/td>\n | 12.0%<\/td>\n | 34.1%<\/td>\n | 6.57<\/td>\n | 4.56<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n \n RHP Mike Burrows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\nPitch<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nUsage vRHB<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nUsage vLHB<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nVelocity<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nStuff+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nWhiff+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nBIP+<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n\nxwOBA<\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |