HOUSTON (AP) — Though Tatsuya Imai made more than 100 starts in eight seasons playing professionally in Japan, he admitted to having a case of the jitters Sunday in his major league debut for the Houston Astros.

“I went out there looking to have fun, but with that said, it’s a different environment from the time I was in Japan,” he said in Japanese through a translator. “I was kind of nervous, which may have been a bad thing, but it was just a different atmosphere for me.”

kAmx>2: 2==@H65 E9C66 9:ED 2?5 7@FC CF?D H:E9 7@FC H2=^2CE:4=6^2DEC@D\2?86=D\D4@C6\ba463344`6ccc7ggh24_dd37ea44f`g5Qmw@FDE@?’D h\f H:? @G6C E96 {@D p?86=6D p?86=Dk^2m]k^Am

kAmxE H2D 2 5:D2AA@:?E:?8 563FE 7@C E96 E9C66\E:>6 y2A2?6D6 p==\$E2C[ H9@ D:8?65 2 E9C66\J62C[ Sdc >:==:@? 4@?EC24E E9:D @77D62D@? 27E6C DA6?5:?8 6:89E D62D@?D H:E9 E96 !24:7:4 {628F6’D $6:3F {:@?D]k^Am

kAm|2?286C y@6 tDA252 H2D DFCAC:D65 E92E x>2: H2=<65 D@ >2?J 32EE6CD]k^Am

kAm“x H2D?’E 6IA64E:?8 E96 D42EE6C:?8 E96 K@?6[” tDA252 D2:5] “w6’D D9@H? E96 23:=:EJ E@ E9C@H DEC:<6D] $@[ 7:CDE @?6[ H6 8@E E92E @?6 @FE @7 E96 H2J] x’> DFC6 E92E x>2: 42?’E H2:E E@ 86E 324< @? E96 >@F?5]”k^Am

kAm%96 pDEC@D =65 3J 7@FC H:E9 @?6 @FE 😕 E96 E9:C5 H96? x>2: H2=<65 +249 }6E@ 367@C6 96 >@G65 E@ E9:C5 @? 2 D:?8=6 3J |:<6 %C@FE] }@=2? $492?F6= H2=<65 E@ =@25 E96 32D6D 2?5 y@C86 $@=6C 4=62C65 E96> H:E9 9:D 5@F3=6 E@ E96 4@C?6C 😕 =67E 7:6=5 E@ 86E E96 p?86=D H:E9:? @?6]k^Am

kAmy@ p56==’D EH@\@FE #qx D:?8=6 E:65 :E 2E c\c 2?5 492D65 x>2:]k^Am

kAm%96 af\J62C\@=5 x>2: D2:5 96 925 23@FE `_ 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J 2E s2:<:? !2C< @? $F?52J 7@C 9:D 563FE]k^Am

kAm“x H2?E65 E@ A6C7@C> 36EE6C 7@C E96> 2?5 86E E9C@F89 7:G6 :??:?8D E@52J[ 3FE 2D J@F D2H[ x E9C6H FA E@@ >2?J A:E496D 😕 E96 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5 :??:?8D[” 96 D2:5] “$@[ x 5:5?’E A6C7@C> FA E@ E96 =6G6= E92E x H:D9 E@ 7@C E96>]”k^Am

kAmp=@?8 H:E9 9:D C@@<:6 ;:EE6CD[ x>2: D2:5 96’D DE:== 25;FDE:?8 E@ E96 5:776C6?46 36EH66? 2 >2;@C =628F6 >@F?5 7C@> E96 @?6 96 H2D FD65 E@ A:E49:?8 @? 😕 y2A2?]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D 2 5:776C6?46 😕 E96 D=@A6 @7 E96 >@F?5 4@>A2C65 E@ y2A2?[ D@ x’G6 567:?:E6=J 76=E E92E[” 96 D2:5] “$@ x H2?E E@ 86E @? E92E 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6 2?5 >2<6 25;FDE>6?ED D@ H96? E96 ?6IE E:>6 x 8@ @FE @? E96 >@F?5 2?5 562= H:E9 E96 D=@A6 282:?[ x 42? 25;FDE E@ :E 36EE6C]”k^Am

kAm%9@F89 x>2: 24@H=65865 36:?8 ?6CG@FD @? $F?52J[ G6E6C2? 42E496C r9C:DE:2? ‘áKBF6K D2:5 96 4@F=5?’E E6== 2?5 96 E9:?6 E92E 96 42? 3F:=5 @? >@G:?8 7@CH2C5]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< 96 H2D 42=>[ G6CJ 42=>[” ‘áKBF6K D2:5] “$@>6E:>6D 😕 2 563FE ]]] J@F D66 😕 E96 6J6D E92E 96’D ?6CG@FD @C @H WE96C6’DX 2 =@E @7 =:<6 6>@E:@? 8@:?8 @?] qFE 96 =@@<65 G6CJ 42=> 2?5 E92E’D 2 8@@5 D:8? 7@C 2 563FE 😕 E96 3:8 =628F6D]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>=3k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.