Imanaga (who else?) will start for Cubs during Tokyo Series
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MESA, Ariz -- Craig Counsell cracked a smile on Sunday when a reporter from a Japanese outlet asked if lefty Shota Imanaga would pitch one of the games against the Dodgers in the Tokyo Series from March 18-19. Since the event was announced last year, the Cubs' manager has quipped that he was probably obligated to hand the ball to Imanaga in the opener.
"Shota's going to pitch in Japan,¡± Counsell said. ¡°I think that's mandated, kind of. I don't think I have a choice, actually."
Imanaga -- who pitched eight years for Yokohama in Nippon Professional Baseball prior to signing with the Cubs in January 2024 -- enjoyed a spectacular MLB debut showing. The lefty went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts against 28 walks in 173 1/3 innings, made the National League All-Star team and placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young Award voting.
¡°We couldn¡¯t be more excited that he¡¯s back,¡± president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. ¡°Year one was as impressive as anything I¡¯ve watched, from a pitcher making an assimilation. Provided everything is on schedule, I¡¯m quite sure he¡¯ll be pitching over there. What game? I don¡¯t know. But certainly, I know the fans in Japan will be excited to see him.¡±