Chicago Cubs ace Shota Imanaga made a strong and much-anticipated return to the mound, delivering five scoreless innings in a 3–0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. It was his first major league start since May 4, after being sidelined for nearly two months with a hamstring injury. Imanaga allowed just one hit, walked one, and struck out three across 77 pitches, 49 of which were strikes. He retired 10 consecutive batters at one point, showcasing sharp command and control.

His return marks a critical reinforcement for the Cubs’ rotation, which had been strained during his absence. Prior to rejoining the team, Imanaga had a dominant rehab stint, including 8 strikeouts over 4.1 scoreless innings across the complex league and Triple-A Iowa. His velocity and whiff rate during those outings gave the Cubs confidence in activating him for this key division matchup.

Following the game, the Cubs moved pitcher Michael Fulmer off the roster to make room for Imanaga, officially designating Fulmer for assignment. With this win, the Cubs secured back-to-back shutouts over the Cardinals and maintained a lead in the NL Central.

Imanaga now holds a 4–2 record with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP across nine starts. His return not only stabilizes the pitching staff but also injects renewed energy into a team eyeing a deep postseason run.