Shintaro Imaya, the left-handed pitcher, is set to return to the major leagues next week after a rehab stint in Triple-A, where he excelled with an impressive 8K performance.

Jameson Taillon chose to monitor the condition of Cubs' left-hander Shintaro Imaya while he was relaxing at home today. The seasoned pitcher accessed the team’s Ivy database to watch Imaya's latest rehab start in Triple-A Iowa.

"From observing his performance last night," Taillon stated, "he is prepared."

Before tomorrow's game against the Mariners, Cubs' manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Imaya is in good enough shape to return to the starting rotation. The current plan is for this left-hander to rejoin the major league team in St. Louis, as the Cubs will face the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game series starting Tuesday, Beijing time.

Counsell has not disclosed the exact date for Imaya's return to the mound, only stating that he "will make his next start in the majors." Given that Imaya was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left hamstring injury and pitched for Triple-A today, he could be back as early as Thursday or Friday, Beijing time.

"Everything is going smoothly, and he has met his rehab goals," Counsell said. "He is cleared to return and will join the team in St. Louis, with further arrangements to be determined later."

The 31-year-old Imaya pitched 4.1 innings for the Iowa Cubs today in Nashville, throwing a total of 72 pitches. According to Statcast data, this left-hander generated 33 swings and misses, including 9 strikeouts. He finished the game with 8 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 hits without allowing any runs.

Imaya maintained his usual pitch mix, with his fastball averaging around 88-91 mph. Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy stated that the pitcher felt good after the game but will continue to monitor his recovery progress this week. Hottovy specifically noted that Imaya used the rehab game to test his pitching mechanics:

"What stands out about Imaya," Hottovy said, "is his ability to consistently balance maintaining game readiness, speed control, and technical adjustments to ensure his pitching motion is coordinated. He tests his arm path by making slight tweaks to his pitches, which indicates that he is in good health—because he must confirm that his pitching mechanics and arm path are sound."

Imaya suffered a leg injury while covering first base during his start against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 5. This was a significant loss for the Cubs, as Imaya was continuing his outstanding rookie season in 2024. In his first 8 appearances, he logged 44.2 innings with a 2.82 ERA, recording 34 strikeouts and 14 walks.

The day after the injury occurred, Imaya was placed on the injured list, during which he continued to maintain his pitching training and underwent hamstring rehab. The left-hander made two rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League (on June 10 and June 15, Beijing time) before being promoted to Triple-A.

"We are excited to welcome back the best version of Imaya," Taillon said, "which is incredibly thrilling because he is one of the top pitchers in baseball."