Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai will be available out of the bullpen during the club's crucial weekend series against the Texas Rangers, manager Joe Espada said Friday. Imai managed just two outs in his latest start Monday against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.

The decision is not surprising given his struggles this season. Imai has posted a 5.83 ERA over 58 1/3 innings in 15 starts, including three outings in which he failed to finish the first inning. After meeting with him Thursday, Espada said the team had identified areas for improvement, but did not clarify whether Imai would remain in the rotation.

Espada clarified Imai's role on Friday when he announced the bullpen move, first reported in an article published to the league's official website by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

"Hopefully we can give Imai a few innings during the series, but for now we have a pretty good plan here moving forward to see if we can get him back [on track]," Espada said. "We're going to go one inning at a time and make sure we give him enough time to bring him into the game. For now, that's how we're going to be handling Imai for this series."

Cristian Javier could return to Astros rotation

Right-hander Cristian Javier tossed five scoreless relief innings Monday and appears likely to rejoin the rotation for Sunday's series finale against the Rangers. Javier also threw a bullpen session Friday at Daikin Park, a routine typically completed by starters two days before pitching. However, the Astros manager stopped short of confirming Javier as Sunday's starter.

Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Astros during the offseason following a successful career in Japan, previously attributed his early-season struggles to several adjustments, including the condition of some pitching mounds, the size of major league baseballs and different meal schedules. McTaggart also shared the following quote from the former NPB standout:

"Even though I'm moving to the bullpen, it's the same thing," said Imai, whose career bullpen experience as a pro has been limited. "I want to perform for the team and win for the team."

The Astros have encouraged Imai to develop greater confidence in a third pitch beyond his slider, which he has thrown 45.4 percent of the time, and his four-seam fastball, used at a 42.7 percent rate. While he has produced an elite 31.6 percent whiff rate and a strong 27.2 percent strikeout rate, he has also issued 40 walks, an average of 6.14 walks per nine innings.

Espada has not said whether Imai will eventually return to the rotation. Houston recently welcomed veterans Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco back from Tommy John surgery, adding depth to a starting staff that has experienced considerable turnover. Peter Lambert leads the team with 18 starts, followed by Spencer Arrighetti and injured right-hander Mike Burrows with 17 each. Ace Hunter Brown made his 10th start Friday against the Rangers.

The series carries added significance in the American League West race. Houston enters Friday night's series opener in second place at 55-55, just half a game behind the division-leading Rangers, who sit at 55-54 headed into the night.