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Astros’ Tatsuya Imai Impresses in Spring Training Debut

2/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

On February 26, 2026, Tatsuya Imai, a Japanese pitcher for the Houston Astros, debuted in spring training against the New York Mets.
Imai pitched a scoreless inning.
Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Astros that includes performance-based salary escalations and opt-out options.
Astros manager Joe Espada praised Imai's performance, noting eight of ten pitches were strikes.
Imai previously posted a 3.15 ERA over eight seasons in Japan.

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Story summary

On February 26, 2026, Tatsuya Imai, a Japanese pitcher for the Houston Astros, debuted in spring training against the New York Mets.
Imai pitched a scoreless inning.
Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Astros that includes performance-based salary escalations and opt-out options.
Astros manager Joe Espada praised Imai's performance, noting eight of ten pitches were strikes.
Imai previously posted a 3.15 ERA over eight seasons in Japan.