Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Starting first game in Tokyo

Imanaga will start March 18 against the Dodgers in the Cubs' season-opening series in Tokyo.

Manager Craig Counsell had said previously that Imanaga would take the ball in one of the two contests in Japan, and now it's been confirmed that the lefty will start the opener. He's expected to be opposed by fellow countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, although the Dodgers have not yet confirmed that. Imanaga held a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 174 strikeouts over 173.1 innings in 2024, his first season with the Cubs.