Shota Imanaga fanned 10 while allowing one run over six innings in a victory over the Reds on Thursday.

The Cubs have to be feeling really fortunate that Imanaga stuck around in the offseason. He’s 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA that ranks 11th in the majors. He’s tied for sixth with 53 strikeouts, and he’s 10th with a 0.93 WHIP. He’ll face the Braves on the road next week.

Shota Imanaga tossed seven shutout innings with five strikeouts in a win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Imanaga was lights out on Saturday, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless over seven innings. He scattered four hits and one walk while striking out five batters on 14 whiffs. It was a nice bounce-back after giving up five runs against the Dodgers in his last start. The 32-year-old left-hander will take a 2.40 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 43/10 K/BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings into a start against the Reds in Chicago on Thursday.

Shota Imanaga allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched to take a loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.

There were some positives for Imanaga in this outing. He was able to whiff six batters, and he compiled 17 swings-and-misses against among his 63 strikes. That’s the end of the optimism, however, as he allowed six hits and three walks before exiting his worst start of 2026. He still possesses a 3.15 ERA and 38/9 K/BB ratio, however, and it would be far from an upset if he bounced back against the Diamondbacks in his next opportunity.

Shota Imanaga allowed just three hits and one run with one walk and one strikeout over seven innings in a 7-4 win over the Phillies on Tuesday.

In a game that got hectic late, Imanaga made easy work of the Phillies lineup while he was out there. After walking Trea Turner to start the game, he retired 21 of the final 25 batters he faced. Of the four who reached base, one came via an error and another from an infield hit. He wasn’t even missing many bats, just forcing a combination of lazy fly balls and ground outs. Yet, it felt like this was more a function of the Phillies’ failed approach than Imanaga’s prowess. He constantly fell behind in the count, only throwing a first pitch strike to 11 of the 26 batters he faced. They just couldn’t wait to swing at a bad pitch. Alas, another strong start gives Imanaga a stellar 2.17 ERA on the season so far in what’s been a strong bounceback campaign. He’s lined up to face the Dodgers this Sunday.

Shota Imanaga matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts over six innings of one-run baseball on Wednesday in a win over the Phillies.

Imanaga got plenty of support from Chicago’s offense and put together a masterclass, generating an eye-popping 26 swinging strikes to finish with a surreal 39 percent CSW on 97 pitches (67 strikes). He limited Philadelphia to just three hits and one walk with a first-inning solo shot by Trea Turner representing the lone tally against him in this one. The 32-year-old’s fastball velocity remains up nearly two miles per-hour from last year as he’s been consistently in the 92 mph range this season, which has increased the effectiveness of his entire arsenal. He’ll carry a sparkling 2.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 31/5 K/BB ratio across 22 innings over four starts into a rematch with the Phillies at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.

Shota Imanaga delivered a spectacular performance in a no-decision against the Pirates on Friday afternoon, allowing just one walk over six innings of no-hit baseball.

The 32-year-old southpaw piled up nine strikeouts on the afternoon. The only runner to reach base against him came on a two-out walk to Oneil Cruz in the second inning. Imanaga was in complete command throughout, generating a whopping 18 swings and misses on 100 pitches — 10 of those on his splitter alone — while posting a CSW of 30 percent. Unfortunately for Cubs’ fans and fantasy managers, they were unable to score a run for him and he wound up settling for a no-decision. He’ll look to replicate this terrific effort as he brings a 2.81 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and a 20/4 K/BB ratio (16 innings) into Wednesday’s battle against the Phillies in Philadelphia.

Shota Imanaga was not involved in the decision after being charged with one run over five-plus innings in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader versus the Guardians.

Imanaga, who struck out four, opened the sixth with a 3-0 lead, only to get pulled immediately after a groundball double from Steven Kwan. The Guardians went on to score three runs in the inning to tie things up. Imanaga is throwing better than he did last year and projects as a pretty solid mixed-league starter going forward. He’ll face the Pirates next.

Saturday’s game between the Cubs and Guardians has been postponed due to weather.

The game will be made up Sunday with a traditional doubleheader. Shota Imanaga and Slade Cecconi were scheduled to start Saturday’s affair, and they’ll likely get the nod in one of the two games in Sunday’s twin-billing.

Shota Imanaga gave up four runs over five innings to take a loss to the Nationals on Sunday.

Imanaga allowed six hits, and he struck out seven while generating a very solid 16 swings and misses and walked two. He pitched better than this line — particularly after the first inning — but a three-run homer allowed to Joey Wiemer spoiled the punch. Imanaga is deserving of being in fantasy lineups in the majority of leagues agaisnt the Guardians on Saturday.

Shota Imanaga recorded five strikeouts and allowed two runs over five innings on Monday against the Yankees.

Imanaga generated a staggering 17 swinging strikes, with nearly half of them (eight) coming on his sweeper alone. The 32-year-old’s fastball velocity was up nearly two miles per-hour in this outing as he continues to flash increased velocity this spring, leading to a 4.50 ERA and 18/3 K/BB ratio across 18 innings of work. He’s looked extremely impressive this spring, causing his fantasy stock to increase as a result, vaulting him into the top 40-50 range among starting pitchers entering the year. He’s in line to take the ball on Saturday against the Nationals to kick off the regular season.

Shota Imanaga fanned eight while allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings versus the Angels on Tuesday.

Jeimer Candelario’s solo homer in the fifth was the only hit given up by Imanaga tonight. With his velocity up across the board this spring, Imanaga is looking like a nice bounce-back candidate and an underrated draft-day option.

Shota Imanaga yielded three runs in 3 2/3 innings Saturday in a no-decision versus the A’s.

The results weren’t great, but it was nice to see Imanaga average 92.1 mph with his fastball today. He was down at 90.8 mph last year after coming in at 91.7 mph in his first season in the U.S. Imanaga struck out three today and got seven whiffs on his 13 splitters thrown.

Shota Imanaga gave up three runs while working two innings against the White Sox on Sunday.

Imanaga gave up all three runs on solo homers. The 32-year-old didn’t issue a walk while picking up a strikeout. Imanaga will not be participating in the WBC in 2026, so he’ll remain a part of the Cubs’ spring training rotation before pitching at or near the top of the rotation when the real games start.

Shota Imanaga tossed two scoreless innings on Tuesday against the Padres in his Cactus League debut.

It qualified as a major surprise when Imanaga accepted a qualifying offer from the Cubs at the outset of the offseason since he figured to have plenty of suitors on the open market. The 32-year-old southpaw has settled in as a consistent top-50 range starting pitcher for fantasy purposes, even if his velocity and strikeout rate are trending in the wrong direction. It’s notable that his fastball velocity was up to 93 mph in this early-spring outing, which is an encouraging sign.

RHP Shota Imanaga accepted the Cubs’ $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026.

Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer for 2026.

The Cubs could have kept Imanaga for $57 million over three years, but they decided against that. It was kind of surprising they offered him the QO afterwards, but having him back for one year doesn’t seem like a bad thing. It just complicates the idea of making a run at Dylan Cease, Michael King or another top starter. As is, the Cubs’ rotation consists of Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton and Imanaga, with Colin Rea likely filling in until Justin Steele returns from elbow surgery.

Shota Imanaga lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs to the Brewers in Monday’s Game 2.

If Matthew Boyd had made it out of the first on Saturday, maybe the Cubs would have pulled Imanaga after two tonight. Instead, they stuck with him and watched him give up his second homer of the game in the third. Dating back to Aug. 28, he’s given up 16 homers over 41 1/3 innings in eight starts.

Shota Imanaga will start Game 2 of the NLDS on Monday against the Brewers.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell made it official after the club’s decision to start lefty Matthew Boyd on short rest blew up in monumental fashion, leading to a blowout loss in Game 1 of the best-of-five series. Imanaga will attempt to even things up in Milwaukee after allowing two runs over four innings on Wednesday in his first playoff outing against the Padres. The 32-year-old southpaw figures to work deep into the contest to spare Chicago’s overworked bullpen.

Shota Imanaga is likely to start Game 2 of the NLDS against the Cubs on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

Chicago’s decision to start lefty Matthew Boyd on short rest blew up in monumental fashion, leading to a blowout loss in Game 1 of the best-of-five series. Imanaga figures to play a considerable role in the Cubs’ pitching plan for Monday’s showdown, even if they elect to go with an opener. There should be an official announcement from Cubs manager Craig Counsell at some point before the weekend wraps up.

Shota Imanaga was charged with two runs over four innings during Wednesday’s Game 2 loss to the Padres.

Imanaga took over in the second inning after opener Andrew Kittredge coughed up a run in the opening frame. The 32-year-old lefty kept San Diego off the board until the fifth inning when Manny Machado connected for a two-run moonshot to left field. He struck out three and only issued two walks, needing 67 pitches (46 strikes) to navigate four frames. He would likely take the ball early next week in the NLDS should the Cubs eliminate the Padres.

Shota Imanaga allowed eight runs in 5 2/3 innings and took the loss against the Mets on Thursday.

Imanaga gave up nine hits, walked one and struck out three. The 32-year-old left-hander hadn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since July 25 against the White Sox, a span of 10 starts. Imanaga finishes the 2025 campaign with a 9-8 record, 3.73 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings. He’ll be highly sought after as a WHIP-master in 2026 fantasy drafts.

Shota Imanaga yielded four runs — three earned — in five innings Friday in a no-decision against the Reds.

Imanaga allowed just four hits, but three of those were homers, bringing his season total to 29 surrendered in 134 innings. That’s two more than he allowed in 173 1/3 innings in his first year with the Cubs. That his velocity, strikeout rate and groundball rate are all down some from last year doesn’t bode very well going forward. He’ll face either the Mets on Thursday or the Cardinals on Friday in his final regular-season start.

Shota Imanaga pitched decently in a no-decision against the Rays on Sunday afternoon, allowing three runs on seven hits over his five frames.

On the plus side for fantasy managers, Imanaga piled up nine strikeouts on the afternoon and didn’t walk a batter. The Rays got to him for two runs in the opening inning on solo blasts from Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero. They then scratched out a run in the third inning on a bunt RBI single by Josh Lowe. Imanaga got 19 swings and misses on 91 pitches on the day — 12 on his sweeper — while posting a strong CSW of 34 percent. He’ll try to get back in the win column as he brings a 3.29 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 110/23 K/BB ratio (134 innings) into Friday’s matchup against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Shota Imanaga gave up three runs over six innings on Monday in a loss to Atlanta.

Atlanta jumped all over Imanaga in the opening frame as Ozzie Albies connected for a solo homer before Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuña Jr. came through with run-scoring hits of their own. The 32-year-old southpaw settled in nicely afterwards, but the early damage was enough to saddle him with a loss as he was out-dueled by opposing starter Bryce Elder. He finished with four strikeouts and didn’t hand out a free pass. He’ll carry a solid 3.21 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 101/23 K/BB ratio across 129 innings over 22 starts into a favorable home outing on Sunday against the Rays.

Shota Imanaga picked up his ninth victory of the season on Tuesday night, limiting the Braves to three runs on five hits across his six frames.

Imanaga struck out two batters on the night while allowing only one free pass. Most of the damage done against him came via the long ball, with Ozzie Albies belting a solo homer in the fourth and Eli White doing the same in the fifth inning. The 32-year-old left-hander got nine swings and misses on 78 pitches on the evening, posting a CSW of 24 percent. Now 9-6 on the season, he’ll tote a 3.15 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 97/23 K/BB ratio (123 innings) into a rematch against the Braves in Atlanta on Monday night.

Shota Imanaga posted a quality start in a no-decision against the Giants on Thursday afternoon, allowing three runs on five hits over seven strong frames.

The 31-year-old southpaw struck out five batters on the day while issuing one base on balls. All of the scoring done against him came on home runs by Willy Adames — a two-run blast in the opening inning and a game-tying solo shot in the sixth. Imanaga generated 11 swings and misses on 92 pitches on the night — nine of them on his splitter — while registering a CSW of 29 percent. He’ll carry an impressive 3.08 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 95/22 K/BB ratio (117 innings) into Tuesday’s battle against the Braves.

Shota Imanaga surrendered two runs over seven innings on Thursday in a loss to the Brewers.

Imanaga worked into the seventh for the fourth consecutive start but was ultimately saddled with a loss due to a second-inning homer off the bat of Brice Turang, which accounted for all the damage against him. He finished with five strikeouts and only issued two walks. He’ll carry a sparkling 3.03 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 90/21 K/BB ratio across 110 innings (19 starts) into a road tilt next Thursday against the Giants at Oracle Park.

Shota Imanaga gave up one run with six strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision against the Pirates on Saturday.

Imanaga had retired the first ten Pirates batters until Tommy Pham took him deep for a solo homer in the fourth inning. He tossed three more scoreless frames, scattering two more hits and two walks while striking out six batters. With only one run of support, Imanaga would settle for a no-decision. The 31-year-old left-hander will take a 3.06 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and an 85/19 K/BB ratio across 103 innings into a start against the Brewers in Chicago on Thursday.

Shota Imanaga pitched well in a losing effort against the Cardinals on Sunday night, allowing three runs on four hits over his 6 2/3 innings of work.

Imanaga racked up nine strikeouts on the evening and didn’t walk a batter. He served up a two-run homer to Pedro Pages in the third inning and then kept the Cardinals at bay until Nolan Gorman’s two-out RBI single in the seventh broke a 2-2 tie and chased Imanaga from the game. He got 11 swings and misses on 92 pitches on the evening — six on his fastball — while registering a strong CSW of 33 percent. Imanaga has been brilliant through his first 17 starts, posting a 3.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a 79/17 K/BB ratio across 96 innings. He’ll take on the Pirates his next time out at home on Saturday.

Shota Imanaga was terrific in a no-decision against the Reds on Tuesday evening, surrendering only one run on three hits over 6 1/3 frames.

The 31-year-old southpaw struck out seven batters on the night and didn’t allow a single base on balls. The lone blemish on his day came on an RBI single off the bat of Spencer Steer in the fifth inning. He exited with the score tied at 1-1 in the seventh inning, then the Cubs’ bullpen came on and gave up four runs before the inning would end. Imanaga generated 15 swings and misses on 92 pitches on the night — seven of them on his fastball — while posting a CSW of 28 percent. For the season, he now boasts a 3.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 70/17 K/BB ratio over 89 1/3 innings through his first 16 starts. He’ll look to get back in the win column when he takes on the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday.