Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched five scoreless innings against St. Louis on Thursday in his return from a strained left hamstring that had sidelined him since May 4. Imanaga, a 31-year-old from Japan in his second season with Chicago,

Shota Imanaga returned from the injured list to throw five innings of one-hit ball, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 3-0 victory over the St.

It was a sprint to first base that sent Shota Imanaga to the shelf seven weeks ago, removing an electric performer and personality from the Cubs’ rotation. So, of course, the lefty was tasked with hus