The Texas Rangers are set to face the Houston Astros on Monday night in a Memorial Day showdown, and the night brings something Texas has not had yet this season: a first look at Tatsuya Imai in person. No hitter in the Rangers lineup has faced Imai stateside, and the club is still sorting out how to handle a pitcher it has only watched from afar.
Imai’s path to this point has not been smooth. He signed a three-year contract last year, then worked back from right arm fatigue after spending a month on the injured list. He also struggled with the transition from the NPB to Major League Baseball, which adds another layer of uncertainty for a Rangers club already trying to piece together matchups from limited information.
Texas has been playing the matchups this season, and Monday could be another night for that approach. The Rangers are expected to have every left-handed hitter in the lineup, with Joc Pederson, Brandon Nimmo, Alejandro Osuna and Evan Carter the only four active left-handed hitters mentioned for the club. Sam Haggerty, a switch hitter, played Sunday for Carter, who got a day off.
The other side is in a similar spot. Houston has only one player mentioned, Nick Allen, who has faced Rangers starter Kumar Rocker. That leaves both clubs with a familiar problem and an unfamiliar opponent, the kind of setup that can turn a holiday game into a test of preparation as much as execution.
Texas may also be waiting on one of its own regulars. Josh Jung sat out Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game with left shoulder soreness, an injury that came after he dove for a ground ball. Rangers manager Skip Schumker said tests on Jung came up clean in Anaheim, but the third baseman has not had an MRI yet. His availability is still uncertain, and that matters because the Rangers may need every available bat if they want to take advantage of a lineup built around left-handed hitters against a right-handed pitcher.
For now, the story is simple: the Rangers are walking into Monday night without the kind of firsthand history that usually settles a matchup, while Imai arrives with his own recent history of recovery and adjustment. Memorial Day often brings a packed schedule and a spotlight game. This one also brings a first impression that could shape how Texas handles the rest of the series.
