Left-hander Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Chicago Cubs early next week in St. Louis following a sharp Triple-A rehab start on Friday

The 31-year-old left-hander made eight starts for the Cubs before tweaking his leg against the Milwaukee Brewers. Over 44 2/3 innings, Imanaga pitched to a 2.82 ERA with a 1.097 WHIP and a 3-2 record. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting in his first season over from Japan last year.

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.