So far in his MLB career, Imai has mentioned difficulties with the timing of his meals, the Seattle weather, the hardness of a mound, the texture of the MLB ball and the slope of MLB mounds.
The biggest adjustment for Japanese pitchers is typically the schedule, as Nippon Professional Baseball starters usually pitch once a week, while MLB arms are asked to go out every five days. The Astros have so far prevented Imai from having to pitch on less than five days’ rest.
That sounds like the meat of it. Maybe he just doesn’t have the stamina to pitch a MLB schedule.
That sounds like the meat of it. Maybe he just doesn’t have the stamina to pitch a MLB schedule.
you’d think with a $54 million dollar 3 year contract that the pitching schedule would have come up in conversations