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The Houston Astros have placed Tatsuya Imai and Jeremy Peña on the injured list. Imai goes to the 15-day IL with right arm fatigue while Peña was placed on the 10-day IL with a grade one hamstring strain.
Jeremy Peña is going on the IL with a Grade 1 hamstring strain
Tatsuya Imai is going on the IL with right arm fatigue.
In corresponding moves, the Astros have recalled pitchers Colton Gordon and J.P. France plus infielder Shay Whitcomb from AAA. Pitcher Jayden Murray was also demoted to AAA as a result.
Imai and Peña were injured during the latest series against the Seattle Mariners. While both injuries are not regarded as serious injuries long term for the Astros, they are concerning as the team has had a myriad of injury issues to begin the season amid their poor start to the 2026 season. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier were placed on the injured list last week.
In particular, the pitching for the Houston Astros has been a major weakness for the ball club. Houston ranks last in the majors in team ERA to begin the 2026 season on the way to a 6-10 record.
Tatsuya Imai has Concerning Start to MLB Career
GettyTatsuya Imai has a 7.27 ERA in three starts for Houston.
The Houston Astros signed Imai to a three year $54 million contract this last offseason. It has a player opt out clause after this season if he wishes to enter free agency or opt in for the next two seasons with Houston.
To begin 2026, Imai has really struggled, pitching for a 7.27 ERA in three starts. His latest start against the Mariners was especially poor as he only pitched for a third of an inning and allowed three runs and four walks. Control has been a major concern for Imai to begin the season, allowing 11.42 walks per nine. However, Imai has also forced a lot of swings and misses, as he ranks in the 87th percentile in whiff percentage.
Imai was an incredibly consistent pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese top league. He has a 3.15 ERA in eight career seasons of NPB play. The trip to the injured list hopes to help regain his previous form.
Jeremy Peña’s Early Season Injuries Woes Continue
GettyAfter a career year, Jeremy Peña struggles to stay consistent in 2026.
Peña has had a slow start to 2026 after having a career season in 2025. So far this year, Peña has batted for .256/.305/.349 with no home runs. Last year, he was incredible, batting for .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs.
To give Peña the benefit of the doubt, he has been playing through an injury already. In the WBC, he fractured his the ring finger on his right hand in an exhibition game for the Dominican Republic.
The Astros removed Peña midway through Saturday’s game against the Mariners after he told the coaches he had right knee tightness. Nick Allen took his spot in the lineup as a result.
The offense of the Astros has been on fire despite the lack of production from Peña. Fangraphs ranks them as the number one offense so far in 2026 in terms of overall production ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chris Lewis is a freelance sports writer based in Gig Harbor, Washington. He focuses on NFL, MLB (with an emphasis on the Mariners), and professional golf. More about Chris Lewis
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