Astros Starter Tatsuya Imai Has Scare on Mound During Spring Training Game

The Houston Astros were just handed a hideous 5-0 loss by the New York Mets on Thursday. The Mets surged ahead early on in the matchup, posting three runs during the second innings, followed by one in the third and one in the fourth. The Astros went scoreless.

During the matchup, Houston fans were quite scared when their prized acquisition Tatsuya Imai was hit by a comebacker on his right shin, forcing those watching to hold their breath.

The comebacker came off Marcus Semien's bat after a 98.7 miles per hour hit. Imai threw 10 pitches in one inning before exiting the game, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Fortunately, Imai appears to be okay and uninjured, and he stated that pitching for one inning was the plan to begin with.

Imai was hit on the right shin by a Semien comebacker and pitched only one inning, but he said one inning was the plan. pic.twitter.com/Qx3qvwE8U2
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) February 26, 2026

Imai's Potential Impact for Houston

Houston Astros Tatsuya Imai holding his knees on the field — Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

When the Astros initially signed 27-year-old Imai, fans celebrated at the thought of bringing on a Japanese superstar who has a proven track record of success. He signed on to a three-year, $54 million contract, and can earn $3 million in incentives if he can throw 100 innings this year.

Imai has never pitched in the Major Leagues before, but he did spend several years playing with the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball club. He may not have MLB experience under his belt, but he is not without professional experience. Imai joins only a handful of Japanese players who have played for Houston.

During his 2025 campaign, he logged a stunning 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts across 163.2 innings pitched through 24 games. Given his ability and the fact that the Astros made it clear they were interested in exploring the Japanese market, this was a win-win situation for both parties.

Imai provides great depth to Houston's starting rotation, which struggled endlessly last season. This year, their rotation is led by Hunter Brown with the absence of Framber Valdez, who is now pitching for the Detroit Tigers.

Imai's scare stopped a few hearts today, but the good news is that he appears to be in good condition and still ready to make a positive impact on the mound during his upcoming campaign.

Next up for the Astros will be another spring training matchup, this time against the Washington Nationals on Friday at 6:05 p.m. Spencer Arrighetti is expected to follow Lance McCullers Jr. on the mound. Will Houston make a comeback after their hiccup on Thursday?