Houston Astros tell pitcher Tatsuya Imai to 'stay ready' despite little usage of late

Tatsuya Imai has pitched just three times in August, but manager Joe Espada says the struggling rookie will get a chance to pitch during a long stretch without a day off. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)

NEW YORK - Tatsuya Imai, the erstwhile Houston Astros starter now stashed in their bullpen, entered Thursday with three appearances in August. Manager Joe Espada said the Astros are notifying Imai to "stay ready" during that reduced usage.

The Astros began a stretch of 13 games with no off day Tuesday. Imai, who had not pitched in six days entering Thursday's series finale at Yankee Stadium, is "going to get an opportunity to pitch" during that stretch, Espada said, though in what capacity remains unclear.

Since his last start July 27, Imai has made three relief appearances, each comprising three innings. He has not been deployed as a more traditional reliever, even as the Astros' bullpen has taken on a heavy workload this month, essentially rendering the unit short-handed.

Nor have the Astros indicated whether Imai could rejoin the rotation down the stretch, even for a spot start. Espada said he "can't tell you yes or no" when asked that question Tuesday. Imai owns a 5.83 ERA in 15 starts, including five in which he threw fewer than three innings.

Houston will start Hunter Brown on Friday in its series opener against the Mets at Citi Field and has not announced starters for the next two games. Espada indicated that Imai could factor into pitching plans during that series in some capacity.

"There's opportunities for him there, there's opportunities for him tonight," Espada said before Thursday's finale against the Yankees. "So it's just day to day and we'll continue to communicate with him and just keep him ready and keep him fresh."

The Astros signed Imai last offseason to a three-year deal with a base salary of $54 million and opt-outs after each year, as well as performances bonuses for reaching 80, 90 and 100 innings in year one. Imai is among 17 different starting pitchers Houston has used this season, tying a franchise record.

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This article originally published at Houston Astros tell pitcher Tatsuya Imai to 'stay ready' despite little usage of late.