Shota Imanaga will start the Chicago Cubs home opener at Wrigley Field next Monday against the Colorado Rockies. Imanaga will follow Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, and Jordan Wicks in that order from the Texas series to open up the season. Recently named to the rotation, Javier Assad will throw after Imanaga next Tuesday night to complete the Cubs’ first cycle through the rotation.
Shota Imanaga to Start Cubs Home Opener
High Hopes in Year One
Despite it being his first year in the show, the Cubs front office and fanbase are holding high expectations for Imanaga. The 30-year-old left-hander signed with the club on January 9. A rather team-friendly contract made it an easy choice for management to get on board with adding Imanaga to the rotation.
The former Yokohama Bay Hawk saw plenty of success in NPB. Imanaga threw over 1,000 innings while playing professionally in his homeland, and is hoping that success can carry over to the states.
The Cubs need Imanaga to play a pivotal role in the rotation from the jump in 2024. Outside of Steele, this rotation is rather unproven. It is known what to expect from Hendricks at this point in his career, with his stronger days certainly being behind him. There is plenty of promise in young arms like Wicks and Assad. However, their lack of experience is sure to show from time to time throughout the season. Jameson Taillon is another question mark for a plethora of reasons. The right-hander was inconsistent in 2023 and it took him quite a while to get in a grove. On top of that, he is expected to miss some time to begin the 2024 season. This stems from back tightness that Taillon experienced before making his first spring training start.
Imanaga will feel some pressure right away in his first big league season. He has the ball on the Wrigley Field mound on Monday for a 1:20 CT first pitch.
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