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Cubs Deliver News About Shota Imanaga's Return to Bigs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric W. Bolin | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 10:49 AM ET

One of the best teams in baseball will soon get even better.

Shota Imanaga is set to make his first minor-league rehabilitation start for the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A Iowa Cubs on Friday night. Imanaga has been out with a hamstring strain since May 4.

The 31-year-old left-hander made eight starts for the Cubs before tweaking his leg against the Milwaukee Brewers. Over 44 2/3 innings, Imanaga pitched to a 2.82 ERA with a 1.097 WHIP and a 3-2 record. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting in his first season over from Japan last year.

His return would help solidify a rotation that has a couple of holes.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon (3.48 ERA, 0980 WHIP) and lefty Matthew Boyd (2.79 ERA, 1.165 WHIP) have been strong, but 25-year-old Ben Brown has struggled to a 5.57 ERA and nearly a 1.50 WHIP over his 13 starts while journeyman Colin Rea has pitched to just a 0.1 bWAR over his 11.

Still, the Cubs have been excellent. Entering Thursday's games, Chicago led the NL Central by 6 1/2 games over both the Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs' plus-107 run differential leads all of Major League Baseball and a 45-28, they're just one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the NL.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the team will re-evaluate Imanaga after Friday's start. The lefty pitched six scoreless innings over two rehab appearanes at the team's Arizona Complex League.

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

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