HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday.
Imai, who has been on the injured list because of right arm fatigue since April 12, threw a bullpen at Daikin Park before the Astros' series finale against the New York Yankees on Sunday. Manager Joe Espada said Imai will start against the Frisco Roughriders if he comes out of that bullpen feeling good.
“He could go four innings, five innings, just depending how efficient he is,” Espada said. “He’s fully stretched out.”
Espada didn’t say how many rehab starts Imai would need before being reinstated from the IL.
Imai, who pitched for the Seibu Lions in Japan last season, signed a $54 million, three-year contract with the Astros that included opt outs after the first two seasons. He posted a 7.27 ERA in his first three starts in the majors and was unable to finish the first inning in his last start on April 10 against the Seattle Mariners.
After he was placed on the IL, Imai revealed that the transition to the United States had been tougher than expected, but Espada said Sunday he believes things are getting better for the 27-year old.
“We continue to talk with him and encourage him to be open with us,” Espada said. “I know he’s got his strength coach finally here. He feels like he’s more complete when it comes to his progression and his process that he has leading into his next start, into his bullpen, so he’s in a much better place mentally.”
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Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai warms up before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner sent writings to family members minutes before the shooting referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” railing against Trump administration policies and signaling what investigators increasingly believe was a politically driven attack, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.
The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions and recent events, including U.S. strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, the official said.
Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.
Authorities also uncovered what the official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of trying to breach a security checkpoint at the dinner while armed with multiple weapons.
Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to the official. A police spokesperson said they contacted federal law enforcement after receiving that information.
Federal agents have also interviewed Allen’s sister in Maryland, who told investigators her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and stored them at their parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge, according to the official.
She described her brother as prone to making radical statements, the official said.
Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years later, the official and another law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
Authorities are still trying to determine how specific Allen’s alleged targets were. Officials have said investigators are examining whether his grievances centered on Trump and Vice President JD Vance personally or reflected a broader hostility toward the administration.
The officials were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after an unspecified threat at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Members of the U.S. Secret Service counter assault team stand on the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
