Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Working on pitch mix in camp
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Imanaga is working on his pitch repertoire in spring training, including tweaking his sweeper and sinker grips and adding a cutter, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Chicago pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said the goal is to help Imanaga throw his sweeper from his "natural arm slot." With the sinker, they want to find a grip that helps the pitcher maintain velocity. Imanaga is also working to reintroduce a cutter after not throwing the pitch last season. The 32-year-old primarily used his four-seam fastball and splitter in 2025, and after a strong start to the year that resembled his stellar 2024 rookie campaign, he stumbled down the stretch to finish the regular season with a 3.73 ERA. Imanaga will aim to get back on track with his revamped pitch mix, and he makes for an intriguing fantasy option with some bounce-back appeal.
