Tatsuya Imai’s brutal rehab appearance increases odds that Astros committed all-time blunder

Tatsuya Imai started a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday and did little to silence the growing fears surrounding the three-year deal he signed with the Houston Astros. Imai was signed with the expectation that he could ascend to the top of Houston's rotation, but his early run with the team has been marked by confusion and discouraging results.

Imai had been on the IL the last two weeks with what the Astros referred to as a dead arm. Medically, Dana Brown confirmed that there was nothing physically wrong with Imai. Above all else, the move felt like an early reset, especially given that Imai had previously admitted to struggling to adjust to Major League Baseball.

It may have been wishful thinking, but the hope was that Imai's minor-league start on Tuesday would be the first step in the right direction. Instead, the start was a disaster. The 27-year-old totaled 59 in only two innings of work while giving up five runs on six hits and three walks. Far from the top-of-the-rotation pitcher the Astros thought they were getting this offseason.

Perhaps there was a reason Tatsuya Imai fell in the Astros' lap

Teams and players will often tell you not to spend too much time worrying about the results of a minor-league rehab appearance. For pitchers, the goal is that they are able to get their work in with no setbacks reported afterward. Originally, the Astros may have been hoping that Imai would only need one start before returning to the big-league club. It's hard to imagine that's a possibility now, considering how poor Imai looked on Tuesday night.

It's important to remember that Imai didn't choose the Astros because Houston made him a priority this past winter. Sure, the Astros were interested, but the original expectation was that Imai could command a deal approaching $150 million. One of the reasons why those expectations weren't met is because of the fear some teams had over how he would handle the transition from Japan. The impression was that Imai's ceiling may have been that of a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher, and not someone capable of becoming an ace.

If that is the reality the Astros are facing, Dana Brown is going to be in trouble. Brown may already be on the hot seat, but if Imai doesn't correct his early-season struggles soon, the general manager could suddenly be without a job before the end of the season.

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