Adam Ottavino recently weighed in on Shota Imanaga’s puzzling second-year struggles, offering insight into what’s gone wrong for the talented left-hander.
After a brilliant rookie campaign where Imanaga went 15–3 with a 2.91 ERA across nearly 175 innings, expectations were sky-high entering 2025. But like many pitchers in their sophomore season, he’s hit a wall. A hamstring injury in May sidelined him for two weeks, and since returning, consistency has been hard to find.
His latest outing in Game 2 of the NLDS lasted just 2.2 innings — four runs on five hits, including a costly home run, as the Cubs fell 7–3.
Ottavino, who spent most of this season unsigned after being DFA’d twice, joined MLB Network on Saturday to dissect Imanaga’s dip in form. “He’s getting clipped for home runs a lot,” Ottavino explained. “The fastball’s not reaching that top-of-the-zone sweet spot like last year. He’s also down about one mile per hour, so that late life just isn’t the same.”
The veteran reliever added that when command and velocity both slip, it’s a dangerous combination — one that’s led to Imanaga allowing 31 homers this year, a steep rise from his debut season.
Still, Ottavino suggested that if Imanaga can rediscover his fastball precision and regain some zip, the lefty could quickly turn things around.
