Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga made his return to the mound for Thursday's outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. This was Imanaga's first start since suffering a hamstring injury in early May. Imanaga didn't look rusty at all as he tossed five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in the win. The Cubs didn't want to push Imanaga too hard during his first game back, but this was an excellent outing from him. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Cleveland Guardians in his next start.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring) is ready to return to the mound for the Cubs on Thursday after being officially reinstated from the 15-day IL. Imanaga has been sidelined since May 4 when he strained his hamstring while going to cover first base. In his eight starts, he went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA, 4.53 FIP, and 34 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. He had a pair of starts in which he allowed five runs, but in each of his other six outings, he allowed two runs or fewer. He threw 72 pitches and went 4 1/3 innings in his last rehab outing, so he will likely have a restricted workload in his return on Thursday in St. Louis.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) will come off the 15-day injured list and start on Thursday in the series finale against the division-rival Cardinals in St. Louis, according to manager Craig Counsell. Imanaga should be rostered in all fantasy leagues, but managers may want to play it safe and keep him on their benches in his first start back this week at Busch Stadium. The 31-year-old Japanese southpaw threw only 72 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in his final minor-league rehab start and hasn't pitched in a major-league game since straining his left hamstring back in early May. Imanaga was an All-Star in his rookie campaign in 2024 and had gone 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA (4.53 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 innings over his eight starts this year before landing on the IL.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) will come off the 15-day injured list and make a start with the big-league club next week against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. The 31-year-old Japanese southpaw hasn't pitched for the Cubs since May 4 when he suffered a strained hamstring against the Milwaukee Brewers. He made three minor-league rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Triple-A Iowa and threw 10 1/3 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts and two walks, although two of those outings were in the ACL. While Imanaga will be a little more shaky as a starting fantasy option in his first start back against the Cardinals, he should absolutely be rostered in all fantasy formats. He went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in eight starts earlier this year before tweaking his hammy.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring) is scheduled to make a rehab start at Triple-A Iowa on Friday. Imanaga made a rehab start on Saturday at Rookie-level Arizona Complex League. He appears to be progressing and is hopefully going to make his final rehab start this upcoming Friday. Imanaga has been out since early May due to a hamstring issue. If everything goes well, Imanaga should be back in the Cubs rotation by the end of June.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) will require a few more minor-league rehab starts before he returns to the major-league starting rotation. "Shota has got a couple more starts before you're going to see him in Chicago. That's because as a starter, you've got to go through this process where you're lengthened out and your arm recovers," Counsell said. The 31-year-old Japanese hurler threw two scoreless innings in his first rehab start on Monday at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. If he can avoid setbacks in his next couple of rehab starts on the farm, we could see him back in Chicago by the end of June. He's been slow to recover from a strained left hamstring that has kept him out since early May, but fantasy managers should be stashing him everywhere. Imanaga had a 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 K's in 44 2/3 frames over eight starts before his injury.

Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring) completed a 37-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports reported that the left-hander is set to pitch in an Arizona game on Monday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he may only need a few rehab outings before returning to the major leagues. Before his injury, Imanaga logged 44 2/3 innings of work to the tune of a 2.82 ERA and an impressive 1.10 WHIP. During this stretch, he struck out just 34 batters but showed strong control of his pitches, allowing walks at a 7.7% rate. However, under the hood, Imanaga generated a high 4.59 xERA with a .254 xBA, which suggests he could face some regression when he returns to the bump. When he returns, Imanaga will replace either Ben Brown or Cade Horton in the starting rotation.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) threw 39 pitches over two innings during a live batting practice session on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Maddie Lee. It's the first time that Imanaga has faced hitters since he landed on the 15-day injured list in early May with a left-hamstring strain. The Cubs are bringing the 31-year-old Japanese southpaw along slowly, but if he doesn't suffer any setbacks as he continues to ramp up, he should be back in Chicago's starting rotation by late June. Because of how much time he's missed at this point, it seems likely that Imanaga will need at least a short minor-league rehab assignment. There's no reason why he should be floating around on any waiver wires, so pick him up immediately if he's available. Imanaga was an All-Star in his first MLB season in 2024 and had a 2.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 34:14 K:BB in eight starts this year before going down.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring) completed his second bullpen session on Saturday. The left-hander is expected to face live hitters during the next step of his progression. Imanaga has been sidelined with a left hamstring strain since the start of May. However, it appears Imanaga will soon be facing live hitters, which could open the door for a return in early June. Before his injury, the 31-year-old was enjoying a strong start to the season, posting a 2.82 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Across 44 2/3 innings, he struck out just 34 batters but showed excellent command of his pitches, as he allowed walks at a 7.7% rate. However, he currently sits in the 26th percentile in xERA, which suggests he could face some regression when he returns. When he is activated off the IL, Ben Brown will likely transition to a full-time reliever.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) threw a bullpen session of around 25 pitches and went through running/fielding drills on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He will repeat a similar workout this weekend as he recovers from a strained left hamstring that landed him on the 15-day injured list on May 5. It's been a slow build-up for the 31-year-old Japanese left-hander, but barring a setback, Imanaga should be ready to return to Chicago's starting rotation by mid-June. Because of his long layoff at this point, fantasy managers should expect him to make at least several minor-league rehab starts before returning to the majors. When healthy, Imanaga is a must-start fantasy hurler. In his second season in the big leagues, he went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 frames over his eight starts before injuring his hamstring.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Monday that left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Imanaga has not started a game for the Cubs since tweaking his hamstring on May 4, but he threw on Monday before the team's win over the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field and is ramping up his arm. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw is working his way back from a hamstring injury slowly, and he might need multiple bullpen sessions before facing live hitters and eventually progressing to a minor-league rehab assignment. Even if he avoids a setback, the Japanese left probably won't be back in Chicago's starting rotation until around mid-June. Imanaga is the Cubs' ace when healthy and had gone 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 innings in his first eight starts before going on the injured list.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) continues to progress, and the team is targeting next Tuesday for his first bullpen session since landing on the 15-day injured list, according to Watch Marquee's Taylor McGregor. The 31-year-old Japanese southpaw suffered a strained hamstring in his last start back on May 5 against the Milwaukee Brewers but is making progress. The fact that he has yet to throw off a mound, though, likely means that fantasy managers shouldn't expect him back in the Cubs' big-league starting rotation until around mid-June, barring any setbacks when he ramps up. In the meantime, Imanaga should remain stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues after opening the year with a 3-2 record, 2.82 ERA (4.53 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in his eight starts covering 44 2/3 innings.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that left-hander Shota Imanaga's (hamstring) return will be "well into June." The skipper also said on Monday that Imanaga will begin throwing off a mound towards the end of next week. Imanaga is currently on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hamstring and won't be returning anytime soon. It means that right-handed pitching prospect Cade Horton should stick around a while longer in Chicago as either a traditional starter or bulk reliever. Even though Imanaga's return isn't just right around the corner, the 31-year-old Japanese southpaw should remain stashed in all fantasy leagues as Chicago's ace when he's healthy. Before getting hurt, he had gone 3-2 with a nice 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 innings over his first eight starts. Imanaga was an All-Star in his debut season in MLB in 2024.

The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a left-hamstring strain, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. Imanaga lands on the shelf after injuring his hamstring during his start on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers when he sprinted to cover first base on a ground ball in the infield. Because we don't exactly know how bad the 31-year-old southpaw's hamstring strain is, we don't have a clear idea of how much time he'll need to miss. Fantasy managers will obviously be hoping it's a minimal IL stay, and Imanaga will be first eligible to return on May 20. The Cubs have multiple options to fill Imanaga's starting-rotation spot in the meantime, with the most intriguing option being right-handed prospect Cade Horton. Veteran Chris Flexen and left-hander Jordan Wicks are other options.

Updating a previous report, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring) made an early exit from Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The southpaw suffered a leg injury while covering first base in the sixth inning. He exited the contest and has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. He finished the day tossing 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out four batters. The expectation is that Imanaga will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Fantasy managers should prepare for Imanaga to miss time, but will need to check back for a timetable on the southpaw. Chris Flexen or Cade Horton figure to be the primary options to replace Imanaga if he misses time.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (leg) was removed early during Sunday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers with an apparent leg injury. The southpaw was seen limping after covering first base during the sixth inning. Imanga exited the game afterwards and will likely undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. For now, fantasy managers should consider Imanaga as day-to-day until the Cubs give another update on his status. He tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out four batters on Sunday. His next start would come against the New York Mets next weekend, assuming he doesn't miss any time.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (leg) is feeling "good" after suffering from leg cramps in his outing on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to manager Craig Counsell. Imanaga will have a "normal day" on Thursday with a focus on more hydration. The Cubs are hopeful it's a "one-time thing," says Counsell. The 31-year-old Japanese southpaw still threw five shutout innings with six hits, one walk and three strikeouts to pick up his third win of the season on Tuesday at PNC Park. Fantasy managers should expect Imanaga to make his next scheduled start this Sunday at American Family Field against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers. Despite an injury scare on Tuesday, Imanaga should be left in starting lineups this weekend in a tough matchup. He's now 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in his 39 innings over seven starts in 2025.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga left his start on Tuesday after five innings with leg cramps. He was cruising before he was knocked out of the game, shutting out the Pirates over the five frames while allowing six hits, one walk, and striking out three. His ERA for the season is now down to an excellent 2.77, and he should be good to go for his next start, assuming the cramps don't become an ongoing issue. If he stays on his normal schedule, his next start will come on Sunday in Milwaukee.

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched well in a 2-1 extra-innings win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Imanaga allowed just one unearned run over five innings while scattering four hits, walking three, and striking out seven but had to settle for a no-decision in the contest. The veteran right-hander was a bit wild in the start but also managed to notch 12 swinging strikes against a dangerous Padres lineup. Imanaga has now made five starts for the Cubs, posting a 2-1 record, 2.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings of work. Imanaga will look to keep it going in his next start, which is set for Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanga was excellent on the mound during the home opener against the San Diego Padres on Friday. The left-hander was almost perfect outside of a solo home run to Martin Maldonado in the third inning. He allowed four hits, one run, and registered four strikeouts over 7.1 innings of work in the win. Imanga has been impressive through two starts with a 0.98 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in 18.1 innings of work. He'll look to keep the good times rolling against the Texas Rangers during his next start.