Astros’ Tatsuya Imai under the microscope, AL West roundup

No teams from the AL West took the field yesterday, but off the diamond, how the Houston Astros move forward with right-hander Tatsuya Imai is drawing attention, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Houston Astros: searching for the right role for Imai

MLB Trade Rumors notes that Tatsuya Imai’s move from NPB to the majors did not unfold as hoped in Houston. The outlet reports that he pitched his way out of the Astros’ rotation and finished the year working out of the bullpen in a limited relief role.

Even so, Imai was carried on Houston’s postseason roster but did not appear in the Wild Card round, per MLB Trade Rumors. His final line came in at a 4.93 ERA over 76 2/3 innings, and the site points out that he made 23 total outings for the Astros.

With Houston landing on an 81-81 record, that performance naturally raises questions about how the club can get more out of Imai going forward. While MLB Trade Rumors does not spell out specific plans, it frames the situation as the Astros needing to find better solutions for deploying the right-hander after an up-and-down debut campaign.

Quiet day elsewhere in the AL West

It was otherwise a quiet day across the division, with no games on the slate. The Sacramento Athletics are listed at 64-98, while the Los Angeles Angels finish at 62-100.

The Seattle Mariners close at 76-86, slightly off the pace, and the Texas Rangers at 80-82, just under the .500 mark. The final table reflects an AL West in which Houston’s 81-81 record sits in the middle of a pack where no club truly pulled away.

With no on-field action to track, the Imai situation in Houston exemplifies where focus shifts around the AL West right now: toward roster choices and role evaluation, particularly on the pitching side for the Astros.