Another poor minor-league start deepens questions around Astros' Tatsuya Imai

SUGAR LAND, Texas — Expectations have diminished during Tatsuya Imai’s first month of Major League Baseball. The Houston Astros projected and paid him to be a mid-rotation starter, but now have smaller goals in mind — baby steps for someone still struggling with a massive transition.“Honestly,” manager Joe Espada said on Monday afternoon, “I’d really just rather him just go throw a ton of strikes and (get) balls in play (rather) than seeing walks. We want him to trust throwing the ball in the zone. If he goes tomorrow and does that, we’ll feel good about the outing and what to do for him next.”Imai didn’t on Tuesday night, prompting wonder where this partnership goes from here.Advertisement