A major offseason acquisition for the Houston Astros was right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai. The addition of Imai, though, has not yet panned out.

Tatsuya Imai struggles in return from injured list

Imai signed a three-year, $54 million contract with Houston in the offseason and with the loss of Framber Valdez, Imai was expected to slot right into the No. 2 spot in the Astros rotation.  After posting a 7.27 ERA through three starts, Imai was placed on the injured list. 

He missed just over a month and was activated prior to Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. It is the same Seattle lineup that chased Imai after just 1/3 of an inning in his last start before hitting the injured list.

Imai once again struggled against the Mariners, allowing five hits, six runs, three walks and striking out three. Imai allowed a home run to Randy Arozarena in the second inning, as well as a backbreaking grand slam to Dominic Canzone in the fourth inning.

 Tatsuya Imai has allowed more runs than innings pitched

After the struggles in Tuesday's loss, Imai has now allowed 13 runs in 12 2/3 innings pitched. That's caused his ERA in his first four career MLB starts to inflate all the way to 9.24, which would be the worst in MLB if he were a qualified pitcher.

If the Astros have any hopes of digging themselves out of the hole they are currently in, Imai will have to become the pitcher that earned him a hefty contract in the offseason.