Imanaga (9-10) earned the win against the Marlins on Friday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts over six innings.
Imanaga cruised through six scoreless innings and was charged with a run in the seventh after departing following a leadoff single. He filled the zone with 64 strikes on 94 pitches while generating a whopping 22 whiffs, including 17 with his splitter. It's been an up-and-down campaign for the 33-year-old, but he's posted a 3.35 ERA with five quality starts in nine outings since the All-Star break. He'll take a 3.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 152:35 K:BB across 156.1 innings this season into a road matchup with the Brewers next week.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Fades in 10th loss
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Imanaga (8-10) took the loss Sunday, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk over five innings against the Reds. He struck out four.
Imanaga spun three scoreless innings before everything fell apart in the fourth and fifth frames, when he surrendered six runs via three homers. In five August starts, the southpaw posted a 5.96 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB across 22.2 innings. The 32-year-old will take a 4.01 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 148:35 K:BB across 150.1 innings (27 starts) into his next outing, tentatively scheduled for Friday against the Marlins.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Labors in no-decision Sunday
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Imanaga did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch over two-plus innings against the Mariners. He struck out four.
The Cubs offense turned the contest into a laugher, but Imanaga struggled on the mound, throwing 72 pitches (41 strikes) before being pulled without recording an out in the third inning. In four August starts, the southpaw has pitched to a 4.58 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 25:5 K:BB across 17.2 frames. Overall, the 32-year-old owns an 8-9 record with a 3.78 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 144:34 K:BB in 145.1 innings (26 starts). Imanaga is tentatively scheduled to pitch Saturday against the Reds.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Strikes out 10 in no-decision
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Imanaga did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on two hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch over six innings against the White Sox. He struck out 10.
Imanaga logged a quality start, during which he racked up double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season. All of the damage came via a Randal Grichuk three-run homer in the fourth inning. In six outings since the All-Star break, Imanaga has posted a 2.55 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 35:5 K:BB across 35.1 innings. Overall, the southpaw owns an 8-9 record with a 3.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 140:32 K:BB in 143.1 innings (25 starts) and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Mariners.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Slows down Dodgers for win
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Imanaga (8-9) allowed one run on eight hits across five innings to earn the win in Wednesday's 7-6 victory over the Dodgers. He had no walks and struck out six.
Imanaga was challenged by a stout Los Angeles lineup, but he managed to scatter his eight hits allowed and mostly stay out of trouble. The only damage against the lefty came on a Shohei Ohtani leadoff home run. Imanaga continued his strong recent play, as he's allowed no more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts, and he's posted a 25:3 K:BB across 29.2 innings during that span. He'll carry a solid 3.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP into his next appearance, which is currently scheduled to come next Wednesday on the road against another tough lineup in Washington.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Takes tough loss Friday
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Imanaga (7-9) was saddled with the loss Friday as the Cubs fell 2-0 to the Yankees, allowing two runs on four hits over 6.2 innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.
Both runs off Imanaga came on solo shots by Amed Rosario in the fourth inning and Spencer Jones in the fifth, and the Chicago offense never got off the mat against Will Warren and the New York bullpen. It was Imanaga's third straight quality start and 10th of the season, and he's gone six straight outings without being tagged for more than two runs -- a stretch in which he's delivered a 1.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 31:6 K:BB over 35.2 innings. The veteran southpaw faces another tough test in his next start, which is set to come at home next week against the Dodgers.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Start pushed to Friday
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Imanaga is no longer listed as the Cubs' starting pitcher for Thursday's game in St. Louis and will instead take the hill Friday versus the Yankees at Wrigley Field, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Imanaga isn't dealing with any known injury, so the Cubs' decision to push him back a day simply appears to be a measure to give him and the other members of the Cubs rotation some extra rest. Javier Assad will move from the bullpen to make a start Thursday, sliding into the rotation spot that previously belonged to Jameson Taillon.
Imanaga (6-8) earned the win Sunday against the Twins, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out four over seven scoreless innings.
Imanaga threw 63 of his 99 pitches for strikes and kept Minnesota's lineup in check throughout the afternoon. Chicago's offense gave him plenty of breathing room with 10 runs over the first four innings, but the left-hander still turned in his fourth scoreless outing of the season. After enduring a rough four-start stretch in late May that saw him post a 10.80 ERA, Imanaga has bounced back with a 2.31 ERA across his last seven starts. The southpaw is lined up to face the Pirates on the road in his next outing.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Tough-luck loss vs. Cincinnati
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Imanaga (5-8) took the loss against the Reds on Friday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out five across five innings.
Imanaga allowed at least one baserunner in each of the first four innings he pitched, but he did just enough to keep the Reds off the board. That scoreless effort came to an end on an Elly De La Cruz solo homer in the fifth, and while that was the only run Imanaga gave up Friday, he was still tagged with the loss as his Cubs teammates failed to score a run. Imanaga went through a rough patch from mid-May to early June, but he's given up two earned runs or less in five of his last six outings, posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 32 innings in that span. He enters the All-Star break with a 4.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 105:27 K:BB across 108 innings.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Mixed bag in seventh loss
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Imanaga (5-7) took the loss Saturday against the Cardinals, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out eight.
Imanaga had plenty of swing-and-miss stuff going, fanning eight and generating 16 whiffs, but he was still inefficient with 86 pitches on the evening. Saturday disrupted a seven-start streak of at least five innings for the 32-year-old left-hander, who also tied a season high in walks. Imanaga is next lined up for a relatively tough assignment at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, holding a 4.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 100:26 K:BB over 103 innings.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Works around nine hits for QS
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Imanaga allowed two runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out four batters over 6.1 innings in a no-decision against San Diego on Monday.
The nine hits he allowed tied a season-worst mark for Imanaga, but he mostly dodged damage and gave up just two runs. The southpaw got 13 whiffs and threw 67 of 97 pitches for strikes while completing six frames for the first time over his past four starts. Imanaga has had an up-and-down June, allowing four or more runs twice and two or fewer runs three times. Overall, he holds a 4.30 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 92:23 K:BB across 98.1 frames spanning 17 starts.
Imanaga won't start as scheduled Sunday against the Blue Jays after the game was postponed due to inclement weather in Chicago.
The two teams will make up the game Aug. 6. Imanaga has given up just one run across 10.2 frames in his past two starts and will get at least one more day of rest before his next appearance. The Cubs seem likely to push their entire rotation back one day as a result of the postponement, so the Japanese lefty will presumably start Monday's series opener against the Mets in New York.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Bounces back in no-decision
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Imanaga allowed two hits and two walks while striking out seven over five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Wednesday.
Imanaga came into this start with 14 homers allowed over his last six games, but he was able to keep the ball down in the Colorado altitude. It wasn't enough to snap his winless stretch, which is now at six starts, but this was a good palette cleanser after his recent rough patch. The southpaw now has a 4.44 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 81:21 K:BB through 81 innings over 14 starts this season. Imanaga will look to continue his turnaround in a rematch with the Rockies in Chicago in his next start.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Tough-luck loss vs. Atlanta
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Imanaga (4-3) took the loss against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six across seven innings. He did not issue a walk.
Drake Baldwin smacked a solo home run in the fourth inning, which was the only run Imanaga gave up through seven innings. Imanaga returned to the mound for the eighth but was pulled after giving up an infield single, and he was tagged for another run after Phil Maton served up an RBI double to Mike Yastrzemski to give Atlanta the lead for good. All six of Imanaga's quality starts this year have come over his last seven outings, and his overall WHIP of 0.90 (across 54.1 innings) is tied for fourth best in the National League among qualified starters. His next start is slated to be a home matchup against the Brewers.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Strikes out 10 in win
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Imanaga (4-2) earned the win Thursday over the Reds, allowing a run on six hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out 10.
It was another strong showing from Imanaga, who logged double-digit strikeouts for the second time this season while holding Cincinnati scoreless until Sal Stewart led off the sixth inning with a homer. Imanaga has allowed just one run over 13 innings in his last two starts, lowering his ERA to 2.28 on the year with a 0.93 WHIP and 53 strikeouts across eight outings (47.1 innings). Imanaga is currently in line to face Atlanta on the road his next time out.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Delivers another gem
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Imanaga (1-1) earned the win, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out 11 over six innings in Wednesday's victory over the Phillies.
Imanaga gave up a leadoff homer to Trea Turner on just the second pitch of the game, but he was nearly untouchable the rest of the way. The left-hander settled in and went on to record multiple strikeouts in five separate innings, overpowering Philadelphia's lineup. His 11 punchouts tied a career high, and he generated an eye-popping 26 whiffs in one of the most dominant starts of his career. Imanaga has looked absolutely fantastic over his last two outings, striking out 20 while allowing just one run across 12 innings. Chicago's ace is slated to face Philadelphia again in his next start, this time back at Wrigley Field.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Cubs-Guardians postponed
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Imanaga won't start as scheduled Saturday against the Guardians, as the game was postponed due to rain, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
The two teams will play a doubleheader Sunday to make up Saturday's game, and Imanaga will take the mound during the nightcap, per Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. The 32-year-old southpaw will be looking to bounce back from a poor showing in his season debut, during which he allowed four earned runs on six hits and two walks over five innings.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Velocity up in spring debut
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Imanaga allowed three hits across two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He struck out one.
Making his spring debut, Imanaga looked sharp as he logged 33 pitches. Most notably, his fastball velocity was 93 mph on average in the contest, which is up from last season's 90.8 mph average, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. This supports reports coming out of camp about increased velocity for Imanaga. It remains to be seen if this is just a blip for the southpaw in a short start or something he can actually sustain throughout the year. If Imanaga can regularly throw harder, he might be able to improve upon last season's 7.3 K/9, which was down from the 9.0 K/9 he recorded during his 2024 rookie campaign.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Working on pitch mix in camp
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Imanaga is working on his pitch repertoire in spring training, including tweaking his sweeper and sinker grips and adding a cutter, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Chicago pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said the goal is to help Imanaga throw his sweeper from his "natural arm slot." With the sinker, they want to find a grip that helps the pitcher maintain velocity. Imanaga is also working to reintroduce a cutter after not throwing the pitch last season. The 32-year-old primarily used his four-seam fastball and splitter in 2025, and after a strong start to the year that resembled his stellar 2024 rookie campaign, he stumbled down the stretch to finish the regular season with a 3.73 ERA. Imanaga will aim to get back on track with his revamped pitch mix, and he makes for an intriguing fantasy option with some bounce-back appeal.
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Shota Imanaga: Enters free-agent market
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The Cubs declined Imanaga's three-year, $57.75 million option Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The team deciding against picking up Imanaga's three-year option triggered a $15.25 million player option, which the pitcher also declined, making Imanaga a free agent. It's unclear whether the Cubs intend to make the southpaw a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer. Imanaga held a 4.70 second-half ERA and 8.10 ERA in two postseason starts, and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.6 percent in 2025. However, with a 3.28 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 291:54 K:BB over 318 regular-season innings since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Imanaga will draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market.
