Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga took a massive step in the right direction towards his return. The ace has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out since May 4. In that time, the Cubs have held the fort down and currently sit at 42-28 overall and 4.5 games up on the second-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Chicago is led by a high-scoring offense that is second in the league in runs per game.

Starting pitcher, however, is one of the slight weaknesses on this roster, meaning that Imanaga's return is critical to this team's success. The 31-year-old lefty was one of the best starters in the league last year, making the All-Star team and being named second team All-MLB. Imanaga has subsequently picked up where he left off in 2025 with a 3-2 record on a 2.82 ERA. Cubs insider Andy Martinez gave an update on the Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan native's health in a recent post on social media.

“Porter Hodge came out of his one-inning outing with Iowa feeling good. Shota Imanaga and Eli Morgan are pitching in the Complex League today.”

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Chicago came into the 2025 season expecting to break its four-year playoff drought. 70 games in, and this team is on track to do so, and possibly then some. It has been a borderline surprise how good the Cubs have been, especially with Imanaga out for over a month. The headline reason for this success to this point is the breakout season of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 23-year-old was considered a terrific prospect going into the league, but the fact that he is this good this soon is stunning.

The former 19th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft is a legit MVP candidate and a five-tool player who is as lethal in the batter's box as he is with his glove. Because of Crow-Armstrong's production, this team is built to contend now in the National League. Overall, while there will likely need to be another addition to the starting rotation and bullpen for the Cubs, when Imanaga is back on the mound, this team should continue to distance itself from the rest of the NL Central division.