SEATTLE (AP) — Astros rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai returned to Houston after his third start to be examined for right arm fatigue.
A 27-year-old right-hander, Imai got just one out in Friday's 9-6 loss to Seattle. He allowed three runs, one hit, three walks and a hit batter while throwing 37 pitches.
“Yesterday, he expressed some arm fatigue, so once we heard that we decided to just send him home to be seen by our doctors,” Espada said Saturday.
“Hopefully there is nothing wrong,” Espada added. “Just not good news.”
Imai signed a $54 million, three-year contract and is 1-0 with a 7.27 ERA. He has 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.
Imai said the mound at T-Mobile Park was really hard and he wasn’t able to adjust. He did not mention any injury Friday when speaking with reporters.
“Once he was done with talking to the media, he mentioned (his injury) to our trainers,” Espada said.
Houston placed right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list last Sunday due to a right shoulder strain and right-hander Cristian Javier was put on the IL Friday because of a similar ailment.
Right-hander J.P. France was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land after pitching 2 2/3 innings Friday and right-hander Jayden Murray was recalled from the Space Cowboys. The 29-year-old Murray is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA in six innings at Sugar Land.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai sits in the dugout after being taken out of the game during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai walks back to the dugout after being taken out of the game during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, locking the Wild into the third seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs.
Matthew Wood also scored and Justus Annunen made 21 saves for the Predators, 4-1-1 in their last six.
Minnesota will face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs.
Michael McCarron scored and Jesper Wallstedt made 20 saves for the Wild, losers of two straight.
The Predators are now three points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference’s second wild card. The Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers earlier Saturday. Nashville has two games remaining and the Kings three.
Stamkos scored the game’s first goal with 4:59 remaining in the opening period on a wraparound tucked just inside the left post.
The goal was the 40th of the season for Stamkos, the eighth time in his career that he’s scored 40 or more.
Wood made it 2-0 at 6:34 of the second after Stamkos corralled the rebound of Nick Perbix's shot and found Wood in the slot, where he beat Wallstedt with a wrist shot.
McCarron, traded by Nashville to Minnesota prior to this season’s trade deadline, scored at 6:54 of the third to avoid the Wild’s first shutout of the season. It was his second post-trade goal.
The Wild did not dress forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello or defenseman Jared Spurgeon for the game.
Nashville captain Roman Josi returned to the lineup after missing Thursday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth with an upper-body injury.
Wild at St. Louis on Monday night.
Predators host San Jose on Monday night.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) moves the puck away from Nashville Predators center Fedor Svechkov (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Nashville Predators defenseman Justin Barron (20) and Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) blocks a shot by Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) keeps Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) away from the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) is congratulated after scoring against the Minnesota Wild during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
