I suspect we’ll get a more complete reaction and assessment from the front office and the man, himself, in the weeks ahead, but I’m still interested in seeing Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy’s take on Shota Imanaga returning to the Cubs on a one-year, $22 million deal.
In short? He’s happy to have the veteran lefty back, and believes things could be bright once again in 2026.
“I was pumped,” Hottovy told Cubs.com of the news, saying that he felt Imanaga and the Cubs were really close to getting him right physically and mechanically late in the year, but “we just ran out of time with the season.”
The Cubs were trying to help him get his velocity back, but that may have cost him some in the way of execution. An offseason to get right will help.
“He knew his stuff wasn’t quite where he wanted,” Hottovy said. “And one big thing for us, too, was we saw some underlying things in play there that we were trying to get ahead of – biometrically and from just underlying numbers …. He’s already been texting us. He feels like his arm slot and posture is back to where he felt like it was prior to the hamstring injury, which is a good sign. That means he’s trusting his lower body enough to get to those positions. That’s encouraging for us right now.”
It can become a bit of a crutch to say that a guy’s midseason injury was the predicate for any and all ills that followed, both because you’re talking about the performance impacts of aging, and also you’re conceding that a physical issue CAN have a serious impact on results. That said, it isn’t hard to imagine that Imanaga’s hamstring injury impacted his velocity and mechanics in a way that not only sent him a little sideways upon his return, but also may have impacted his ability to sustain himself down the stretch.
It may really help Imanaga and the Cubs to have a full offseason to reset. Then you’ve got a polished, experienced, veteran pitcher coming into 2026 with a lot of prove and a lot to pitch for. And it’s not like he hasn’t shown a whole lot of MLB-caliber ability in his two seasons with the Cubs.
Another way of looking at this: t.co/WMoDJBtup8
— Brad (@ballskwok) November 22, 2025Hence then, the article about cubs pitching coach tommy hottovy discusses shota imanaga s return was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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