Astros Tatsuya Imai, Josh Hader set to pitch in same injury rehab game

Story by

Garrett Kerman, ClutchPoints

Sat, May 2, 2026 at 7:03 PM UTC ·

2 min read

Astros Tatsuya Imai, Josh Hader set to pitch in same injury rehab game appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Houston Astros just got some big news, and they really needed it after their terrible start to the 2026 season. Joe Espada, Astros manager, said that Tatsuya Imai , Josh Hader , and Nate Pearson will all pitch for Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday . Imai will start the game. This is a huge help for a pitching staff that has been hurt more than any other in baseball.

In this case, Framber Valdez left the Astros to join the Detroit Tigers, so they didn’t have him when the season started in 2026. Their rotation fell apart very quickly, Hunter Brown hurt his right shoulder in early April and had to go on the injured list. Next came Cristian Javier . And then the two biggest dominoes fell: Imai, the $54 million free-agent signing, went on the 15-day IL on April 12 because his right arm was tired. He had just one out in a terrible start against the Seattle Mariners , walking four batters and throwing 37 pitches. The Astros put Hader on the 60-day IL in the middle of April because his biceps tendinitis got worse.

The good news surrounding Hader began building last week when he completed a 25-pitch live batting practice session at Daikin Park, touching 93-94 mph on his fastball. For a team that has watched replacement closer Bryan Abreu post a staggering 12.96 ERA in his absence, simply having Hader healthy and near game-ready is enormous. The six-time All-Star saved 28 games for Houston in 2025 and owns a career ERA under 3.00. When healthy, he’s a shutdown arm who instantly transforms a bullpen. His presence on Tuesday in Sugar Land signals that the Astros could realistically have their closer back in action before the end of May.

The Imai situation is more complicated. His first rehab outing with Double-A Corpus Christi was rough, five runs allowed on six hits in just two innings, throwing only 31 of his 59 pitches for strikes. His four-seam fastball sat between 93-96 mph, matching his pre-injury velocity, which is the most encouraging sign of all. Moving Imai up to Triple-A for this start suggests the Astros are ready to stretch him out further and prepare him for a rotation return. For a team with a rotation ERA north of 6.00, they cannot afford to wait much longer.

With the organization’s entire pitching future riding on the health of three arms taking the mound on the same night. Tuesday can’t come soon enough for an Astros fan base starving for answers.