"I'm compared to TWICE." Complaining, 155km right-hander said, "Eat at the stadium. It's hard."" Whining... I went to the injured list

*This content was translated by AI.

The U.S. media also seems to feel limited by Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai (28, Houston Astros). He was on the injured list on the 15th due to symptoms of right arm fatigue, but he focused on failure to adapt.

CBS Sports, a U.S. media outlet, said on the 15th (Korea Standard Time), "Houston's Japanese right-hander Imai has no major injuries. Imai said he had a hard time adjusting to the American lifestyle. This is likely the cause of arm fatigue," he said.

Imai is a right-handed fireballer with an average fastball speed of 94.9 miles per hour (about 152.7 kilometers) and a maximum of 100 miles (about 160 kilometers). Since his debut with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Seibu Lions in 2017, he has won 58 games (45 losses). As a case of rapid improvement in skills over the past three years, he has won 10 games in the last three years in a row and recorded a career high with an ERA of 1.52 last year.

Ahead of this season, he signed a three-year, up to 63 million-dollar contract with Houston through the posting system and succeeded in advancing to the Major League. It has opened up the possibility of a large contract by receiving an opt-out clause every year (breaking the contract due to the exercise of FA rights during the contract period).

Contrary to expectations, it seems to be creaking from the beginning. Although he has secured a starting position, he is already shaking with a 7.27 ERA in three games and 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in eight ⅔ innings. He recently complained of pain in his right arm after taking the mound, but the examination showed no abnormalities in both his right shoulder and arm.

As a reason for the slump, Imai brought up the problem of adaptation. Imai said, "For example, there is a movement problem. In Japan, after the game, we come back to the hotel and have dinner. But in the U.S., players eat at the stadium," he said.

CBS Sports said, "It may be difficult for Imai to adapt at first. It would have been easier to move in Japan, and the official ball and schedule are different. There is also the issue of cultural adaptation. The country, language, and food are all different," he understood.

"Some players adapt quickly and succeed. But some players need time to get out of baseball and get their lives together, which can lead to performance problems. Changing the country is a big challenge. Imai pointed out, "This is the first time Houston has recruited a Japanese player who came directly from Japan, and this part may lack experience in Houston."

However, I can already sense the cynical gaze. Imai's complaint is that this is not the first time. Imai became a losing pitcher with three runs on one hit and five outs (four walks) in ⅓ innings in the away game of the Seattle Mariners on the 11th. At this time, Imai said in an interview with local media such as The Athletic, "The mound at T-Mobile Park was too hard to adapt. He made excuses, saying, "I haven't experienced cold weather and windy weather even in Japan."

On top of that, it is said that it is difficult to adapt to clubhouse culture due to language problems. All of this is understandable, but it feels more like an excuse because he also missed the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) to adapt to the U.S.

Another Japanese media outlet Junichi Sports said, "In the U.S. media, it is unclear how much eating at the stadium affects fatigue in the arms. What is clear is that this is not the first time Imai has made surprising remarks after the results have not come out," he said, according to the foreign media's response.

"I have a lot of complaints for a player with less than three weeks of major league experience," he cynically reported after Lee's remarks against Seattle. It means that the adaptation problem is a part that you have to understand (what will be difficult) and come back in the stage of selecting and preparing a team," he added.

It is also compared to teammate Ryan Weiss (30), who joined the team right away. Weiss is also a player who has not even reached the major league threshold before this year, but rather helped Imai adapt. During the spring camp, Weiss showed a strong fellowship by approaching Imai first and having dinner together. Weiss said in an interview with The Athletic, "I know how hard it is to be a foreign player on a team where words don't work."

Weiss, an American, may think he is different from Imai, but he is also a player with stranger experience through the Taiwan Professional Baseball (CPBL) and the Korea Professional Baseball (KBO). Rather, he succeeded in making his dream major league debut by making a success there. In particular, Hanwha Eagles succeeded in adapting perfectly and was nicknamed "Daejeon Jesus."

Last year, he led his team to the Korean Series with 16 wins and 5 losses with a 2.87 ERA and 207 strikeouts in 178 ⅔ innings in 30 regular-season games. Based on the achievements, he signed a one-plus-one-year, one-year, up to $10 million (about 14.8 billion won) contract with Houston with club options in 2027 and returned to the U.S.

However, Weiss's efforts do not seem to work for Imai today.

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*This content was translated by AI.