TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (31-39) continue a six-game road trip with the first game of a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals (28-41) tonight at Kauffman Stadium.
RHP Tatsuya Imai (3-3, 5.24 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Luinder Avila (1-2, 4.02 ERA) and the Royals.
ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai is set to make his ninth career Major League start tonight and his fifth since returning from the IL after a bout with right arm fatigue.
He’s performed better since his return, particularly in his last four starts in which he’s posted a 2.91 ERA (7ER/21.2IP) with a .176 (13×74) opponent average and a 1.02 WHIP.
In January, the Astros signed Imai to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the NPB in Japan, where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
ABOUT THE NO-NO: On May 25 at TEX, RHP Tatsuya Imai st arted the Astros 17th regular season no-hitter and their 18th no-hitter overall in club history. Imai worked the first 6.0 hitless innings before giving way to LHP Steven Okert (1IP) and RHP Alimber Santa (2IP).
The no-hitter was the Astros seventh since 2019, which is the most in the Majors in that span. Additionally, the Astros 18 no-hitters overall are the most in the Majors since the franchise was born in 1962.
ROAD TRIP: The Astros traveled to Kansas City on Wednesday night after facing the Los Angeles for a three-game series.
The Astros went 1-2 in Anaheim. The Astros will continue their six-game road trip tonight with the first game of a three-game series against the Royals. The Astros are 15-20 on the road this season and went 7-3 on their last road trip.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has recorded a 2.53 ERA (24ER/85.1IP) with 82 strikeouts, a 1,00 WHIP and a .169 opponent batting average.
Among AL teams since May 15, the Astros bullpen ranks first in opponent batting average, first in WHIP and first in ERA…the Astros are also 14-11 during since May 15.
HIT PAREDES: IF Isaac Paredes is one double away from recording his 100th career double. He is looking to become just the 4th Mexican-born player in MLB history with 500 career hits, 100 doubles and 100 home runs, joining IF Vinny Castilla, IF Jorge Orta and IF Aurelio Rodríguez.
ON THE MEND: RHP Hunter Brown allowed two runs (one earned run) on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings on Wed. night in a rehab start with Triple A Sugar Land.
C Yainer Diaz went 0x3 with a walk and caught seven innings last night in a rehab appearance with Triple A Sugar Land.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: Following Wed. night’s game, the Astros optioned IF Shay Whitcomb to Triple A Sugar Land. To take his place on the active roster, the Astros selected IF Raynel Delgado (#29) to the Major League roster today. To make room for Delgado on the 40-man roster, the Astros designated RHP Ryan Weiss for assignment today.
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros are tied for the fewest errors in the AL (28) with the Athletics. Houston has posted the best fielding percentage (.988) in the AL, topping the Athletics (.988), Royals (.988) and Mariners (.988) by a few percentage points.
VS. THE ROYALS: The Astros and Royals are facing each other for the first time this season. The Astros went 3-3 against the Royals last season, including a 1-2 record at Kauffman Stadium. The Astros own a 58-49 record all-time record against the Royals, including a 29-24 record at Kauffman Stadium.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OPS (1.066), SLG (.636) and total bases (157) and leads the AL in home runs (22). Also in the AL, he ranks tied for first in extra-base hits (35), second in OBP (.430), second in batting average (.316),tied for third in RBI (48), third in hits (78), fourth in walks (46) and tied for fifth in runs (46).
ON BASE MACHINE: OF Yordan Alvarez is on a 18-game on-base streak. During the streak, he’s batting .355 (22×62) with 16 runs, two doubles, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 15 walks and a 1.207 OPS.. It is his second-longest on-base streak this season, behind a 22-game on-base streak from April 4-28.
AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: On Monday, OF Yordan Alvarez was named the AL Player of the Week for the week of June 1-7. For the week, he batted .476 (10×21) with six runs, one double, two HR, nine RBI, five walks and a 1.386 OPS.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker ranks tied for third in the AL in RBI with teammate DH Yordan Alvarez (48). Walker also ranks tied for fifth in the AL in extra-base hits (30), tied for sixth in total bases (127), tied for seventh in home runs (16) and 11th in SLG (.494).
In the field, Walker has not committed an error in 68 games.
MOVIN’ ON UP: RHP Bryan Abreu recorded his 343rd career appearance on Wed. night at LAA surpassing RHP Ryan Pressly (342g) for the sixth-most relief appearances in Astros franchise history.
Abreu is five appearances shy of tying LHP Joe Sambito (348g) for the fifth-most relief appearances in franchise history.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2019 – The Astros set a franchise record with 24 strikeouts in a 14-inning, 6-3, loss to the Brewers in Houston. The game is played in a crisp four hours and 16 minutes. RHP Justin Verlander does most of the work, striking out a career-high 15 batters in 7.0 innings pitched. This start was one of many excellent starts for Verlander in 2019, en route to earning his second career Cy Young.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, June 12, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Kaufmann Stadium, Kansas City, MO
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Read the full article here