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Tatsuya Imai is off to a rough start with the Houston Astros, and he has been forced to make some very tough decisions to start his career.

The Houston Astros are off to a slow start this season after narrowly missing the postseason at the end of 2025. Their starting pitching has been a problem this season and it has led to them falling to 6-11 and sinking to the bottom of the American League West.

Perhaps the biggest move Houston made last offseason was signing right-hander Tatsuya Imai to a three-year, $45 million contract to boost their starting rotation.

Imai has made three starts this season, winning his only decision but posting a 7.27 ERA. He also is on the injured list with right arm fatigue.

Imai has said that he has struggled adapting to the American lifestyle, which he believes could have played a role in his injury.

However, Astros insider Chandler Rome revealed that there are other factors at play, such as the fact that he is already on his third interpreter since coming over to the United States.

“I think it should be noted that this is his third interpreter since he reported to spring training on the first day of camp,” Rome said. “I’m not sure if that has some impact here that he has now had three different interpreters relaying to him what is being said and vice versa.

“Reading between the lines, it sounds like a guy who’s just struggling to adapt.”

Tatsuya Imai Facing Difficult Situation

This is certainly a less-than-ideal situation for Imai coming over from Japan. He was expected to be the ace of the Astros staff after it lost Framber Valdez to the Detroit Tigers. But now he is dealing with arm issues and is also ultimately struggling to adapt to his new routine.

Sometimes, this can happen for players after coming over from a different country. There is a lot for them to adjust to, and there are things that they may not be very easy to do upon entering a new culture.

Ultimately, the Astros have been off to a rough start and are at the bottom of the AL West. Perhaps the team’s struggles could be playing a role as well. But the fact that he has had to cycle through three different interpreters is certainly something worth noting.

That ultimately proves just how hard it has been for Imai and how hard it can be for certain players to adapt to new environments. Clearly it is taking some time for Imai to get settled in Major League Baseball and pitching in a new country.

The arm injury certainly doesn’t help his case, and the fact that he has had to change interpreters twice is only making things more difficult. Hopefully soon, he’ll be able to get better acclimated to MLB and his new surroundings, because it can take time for certain players to get used to things.

It will be interesting to see if he can improve when he ultimately returns from the injured list. The Astros need him to be at full strength if they want to overcome their rocky start and get back into contention this year.

Curt Bishop Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who has written for various outlets including Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, FanSided, The Sporting News, Newsweek and Yardbarker. His work entails mostly breaking and trending news with a concentration on Major League Baseball (MLB). Curt graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on emerging and new media, as well as a music minor. More about Curt Bishop