(Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)

Shota Imanaga returned from injury last week and immediately regained his star form on the mound for the Chicago Cubs.

Imanaga, however, hopes to be better than his only other career appearance against Cleveland when the host Cubs try to hand the Guardians a sixth consecutive loss on Wednesday night.

After missing seven weeks with a strained left hamstring, Imanaga (4-2, 2.54 ERA) allowed one hit, a walk and struck out three over five innings during Chicago's 3-0 victory at St. Louis on Thursday.

Though the star left-hander has failed to complete six innings in any of his last six starts, his return to the Cubs' rotation is a boost for a starting staff that has endured some inconsistency.

'We need that guy. He's special for us,' Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia said. 'We've been needing him since he left. It feels great to see that guy pitching again.'

However, there was nothing great for Imanaga and the Cubs during a 9-8 loss at Cleveland on Aug. 12, 2024. During that outing, he allowed seven runs (three earned) with seven hits -- including two homers -- over five innings.

However, the Guardians have just eight runs during a losing streak that reached five with Tuesday's series-opening 5-2 defeat. Cleveland managed just five hits in the contest. The Guardians scored their two runs against former teammate Matthew Boyd through seven innings, and no hits against relievers Brad Keller and Palencia.

In addition, Guardians pitchers have allowed 48 hits and posted a 6.34 ERA in the last five games. And the club has committed at least one error in 11 consecutive contests.

'We need to get more going,' Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. 'We're all trying to be perfect right now, whether it's pitchers, position players, doesn't matter. ... We need to just take a deep breath, take a step back and go play baseball.'

Steven Kwan had one of his team's five hits Tuesday and homered off Imanaga last season. However, Kwan is 3-for-24 in the last six games. Meanwhile, fellow star teammate Jose Ramirez is 2-for-23 in his last six contests.

Cleveland has lost each of the last three outings made by Wednesday's scheduled starter, right-hander Tanner Bibee (4-8, 3.90 ERA), but he's yielded two earned runs in three of his last four. That included Thursday, when he gave up three total runs and three hits while striking out seven without a walk through six innings of the Guardians' 6-0 loss to Toronto.

Bibee threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his only previous start against the Cubs, in 2023. Chicago's Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly are a combined went 0-for-4 against him.

However, Suzuki homered Tuesday and has gone deep three times in the last two games at Wrigley Field. Meanwhile, Kelly, who had two hits with three RBIs in the series opener, is 10-for-21 in his last eight contests for the National League Central-leading Cubs, who have won four of their past six games.

Teammate Michael Busch had three hits Tuesday and is batting .386 with 11 RBIs in his last 13 games.

--Field Level Media