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Inside the Astros

Astros Set Probable Starters for Return Home to Face Mariners

The Astros have released their probable pitchers against the Mariners, and one of their injured starters is on the list.
Maddy Dickens|
Apr 10, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (45) departs the mound during a first-inning pitching change against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
Apr 10, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (45) departs the mound during a first-inning pitching change against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

To say the Houston Astros have dealt with injuries this season would simply be diminishing the reality of what has gone on for this ballclub in 2026. No aspect of this roster has been safe, and that includes the starting rotation.

The rotation has been without its ace Hunter Brown since April 2, when he suffered a Grade 2 strain of his throwing shoulder.. The team's biggest offseason acquisition, Tatsuya Imai, went down almost a month ago with right arm fatigue.

Well, after his latest Triple-A start, where he struck out three and allowed a run, Imai has been deemed ready to come back to the roster as he has been listed as the likely starter for Game 2 of the four-game series with their division rivals, the Seattle Mariners.

Imai is not just trying to come back from an early stint on IL, but a rather brutal hello from Major League hitters as his debut in the States has not gone well up to this point. If there is a time for Imai to look like the free agent they gambled on, it is definitely now.

Probable Pitchers vs. Mariners at Daikin Park

Mike Burrows winds up in a grey Astros jerse
Mike Burrows (50) throws a pitch in the second inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
  • Monday: Peter Lambert vs. George Kirby
  • Tuesday: Tatsuya Imai vs. Bryan Woo
  • Wednesday: Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Bryce Miller
  • Thursday: Mike Burrows vs. Luis Castillo

Burrows name should immediately jump off the page as one of the top matchups to watch, which might be shocking as he has a 5.00+ ERA on the year, but it is how he has pitched recently that counts.

In his last two starts, Burrows has combined for 13 innings with nearly 100 pitches per outing. He had to pitch himself out of a couple of jams, but did so and has only allowed three earned runs this month.

There is no world in which it makes sense for Houston to look ahead to the playoffs or talk about division titles. The Astros don't even need to look past the Mariners right now. They need to figure out how to win one game at a time and take it from there.

Imai's return to the rotation is hopefully a massive step in the right direction and if all goes well, Brown could be joining the rotation soon. The team has to get its heads back above water and they have their work cut out for them. It starts against the Mariners.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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