The Chicago Cubs have been one of baseball’s most pleasant surprises this season, and outfielder Ian Happ recently described a new development as one that could pay major dividends down the road.

Cubs starter Shota Imanaga recently returned from a strained left hamstring that had kept him out since May 4. There was real anticipation from teammates even before the ace officially made it to the bump.

“It’s almost like having a big trade in the middle of the season,” Happ said on The “Compound Podcast.

Imnanaga pitched five scoreless innings against the rival St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday and helped Chicago cement a 3-0 victory. The 31-year-old tossed three strikeouts and only allowed one hit.

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“He did a really good job for us,” catcher Carson Kelly told reporters after the game. “He came in and established his heater and his splitter, and what he does really, really good is tunnel the two and get in some good counts.”

The lefty threw his splitter 30 percent of the time on Thursday night. He induced three whiffs, one called strike, and five balls in play with the pitch.

Imanaga’s presence is a welcome sight. Across 29 starts in 2024, he earned 15 wins and a 2.91 ERA. Prior to the injury, he had posted a 2.82 ERA through his first eight starts and looked surefire All-Star.

“He controlled the environment. It looked like he'd been out there for every single start,” Cubs Counsell said of Imanaga after . “[There's] a tendency to get overamped in a start like that. I thought he controlled his effort level really well, his energy level really well, and that caused a lot of good execution.”

The Cubs are currently first in the National League. Factors such as the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker’s torrid start have energized Chicago’s lineup. If Imanaga can lead the rotation down the stretch, the Cubs could be a threat to make an October run.