The Chicago Cubs have given an injury update about lefty ace Shota Imanaga.
Fortunately, it’s a good update.
Imanaga threw four scoreless innings in a rehab start in Arizona. He struck out four batters without allowing a walk, per Marquee Sports Network’s Kyle Millinowisch.
Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said the team was hoping for three innings and 53 to 55 pitches out of Imanaga.
Imanaga was so efficient that after his four innings, he went to the bullpen to throw an additional 15 to 20 pitches.
“Things are trending in the right direction,” Hottovy said on Cubs Live! “I think now we’re at the point where he can start fine-tuning some things in his delivery, start fine-tuning some things with the pitch shapes. When you can do that, you’re trusting that the lower body is feeling good.”
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Imanaga, 31, was off to a good start before he strained his left hamstring on May 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in eight starts.
Last season, Imanaga received votes for National League Rookie of the Year. He dominated Major League Baseball, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 29 starts.
His 6.2 strikeouts to walks ratio led MLB. He struck out 174 batters while walking just 28.
The Cubs have missed Imanaga dearly, especially since Justin Steele is out for the season.
Chicago’s starting rotation had a 4.41 ERA in Imanaga’s absence prior to Matthew Boyd’s outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before Imanaga went down, the rotation’s ERA was 3.44, fifth-best in MLB.
The Cubs are 43-28, five games ahead of the Brewers for first place in the NL Central.
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