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Cubs Coach Reveals Next Step in Shota Imanaga's Rehab

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 5:03 PM ET

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 5, made progress this week in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Imanaga had his second start in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday. Much like his first, it ended with positive results, as he tossed four innings of shutout ball.

Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, who has closely followed Imanaga's rehab, said the next step in the 31-year-old left-hander's recovery will be with the club's Triple-A affiliate, the Iowa Cubs.

"We just need to really evaluate, now that he’ll be in the first, I would say, a higher-intent, bigger environment with a little tougher competition, to see where he’s at," Hottovy said, via MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. "We’re not ruling out that he wouldn’t be ready after this next outing. But really, we just need to see how he’s recovering and how the stuff looks in a longer outing.”

Across his two starts in the ACL, Imanaga has struck out eight batters, walked none and allowed four hits across six shutout innings. Hottovy said he is also impressed with what he has seen from Imanaga beyond the box score.

"The stuff looked good. The velo started trending up as the outing kind of played out. It's good to see him getting the ups and still being consistent with stuff and velocity. It was good. Split looked good. The fastball shape looks like it's continued to trend and get better," Hottovy said. "All in all, positive, and kind of what we want to see in these first two innings out there."

According to Bastian, Imanaga will remain in Arizona through the week to maintain his between-start routine before traveling to Nashville, where he is likely to start on Friday for the Iowa Cubs against the Sounds. Should he impress in Triple-A, there is a chance he could return to the big leagues in time for the Chicago Cubs' series against the St. Louis Cardinals, where he could make a start on either June 25 or June 26.

But before that can happen, it is important that the Cubs see where Imanaga is health-wise first, Hottovy said.

“Obviously, we need to evaluate where he’s at first. And then, we’ll figure out the logistics of getting him back," Hottovy said. "But I do think it’s more important to do what’s best for him, make sure he looks good and is recovering and feeling good.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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