Kikuchi exited Sunday's contest against the Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth inning with right ankle irritation, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Kikuchi tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball before being forced to leave his start early. The left-hander was at 98 pitches overall, so he was likely set to finish his day after the frame anyway. More information on his status will likely come in the near future, and it's unclear if he's in doubt of missing his next projected start Friday versus the Marlins.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Feeling fine after early exit
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Kikuchi (ankle) is feeling fine following Sunday's 6-4 win over the Dodgers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Kikuchi exited the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning with right ankle irritation after retiring two batters in the frame. The left-hander explained that he would've stayed in the contest and pitched through the issue had it been earlier in the game. Kikuchi appears to be all set to toe the rubber for his next projected start Friday against the Marlins.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Decent in no-decision
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Kikuchi allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Monday.
It was Kikuchi's own throwing error that led to two runs scoring to give the Padres the lead in the third inning. He left the game with the Angels trailing 4-3, but they rallied in the ninth to get him off the hook, instead leaving him with a third straight no-decision. This was his fifth quality start in nine outings, but he has yet to get in the win column. Kikuchi has posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 43:22 K:BB over 48.1 innings, though he's walked just four batters over his last three starts, spanning 17 innings. The left-hander's next start is projected to be a tough road matchup versus the Dodgers this weekend.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Impressive against former squad
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Kikuchi allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings in a no-decision against Toronto on Wednesday.
Kikuchi was ultra-efficient in the start, throwing 70 of 91 pitches for strikes -- a promising development given that he entered the game with a poor 4.7 BB/9. The lefty tossed five scoreless frames to begin the contest before giving up his lone run in the sixth. Kikuchi wasn't rewarded for his fine effort with a win, but he did notch his fourth quality start of the campaign and his first since April 9. The veteran hurler still doesn't have a victory this season, though his numbers have been tolerable -- he has a 3.83 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 39:20 K:BB over 42.1 frames spanning eight starts.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Fans five in no-decision
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Kikuchi didn't factor into the decision Thursday against Detroit after allowing two runs on five hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five.
Both of Kikuchi's runs allowed came via solo homers, with one coming on a third-inning shot by Javier Baez and another on a fourth-inning blast by Gleyber Torres. It was still an encouraging bounce-back effort overall by the left-hander, who yielded a lone walk after lending a whopping 18 free passes over 25.1 frames in April. Kikuchi will look to further improve his 4.21 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 33:19 K:BB across 36.1 frames in a tough matchup next week versus the Blue Jays, who entered Wednesday with a .758 OPS against left-handed pitching this season.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Roughed up in loss
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Kikuchi (0-4) took the loss against the Twins on Saturday, allowing four runs on nine hits and four walks over two innings. He did not strike out a batter.
Kikuchi yielded three runs in the first frame off six singles (including four straight to start the game) and a walk. The veteran southpaw gave up another run in the second inning and was lifted ahead of the third after tossing 66 pitches (37 strikes) and generating just three whiffs. Saturday's outing was a stark contrast to his previous start against the Giants on April 20, when he tossed 5.1 innings without giving up an earned run. Kikuchi is now up to a 4.31 ERA and 1.60 WHIP through 31.1 innings, and his 18 walks is tied with Carlos Rodon for second most in the American League behind Charlie Morton (20).
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Navigates around poor command
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Kikuchi allowed one run (zero earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out six in 5.1 innings Sunday against the Giants. He did not factor into the decision.
Kikuchi was unable to reach six innings for the first time this season but had another solid outing. He was able to escape a scoring threat in the fourth and struck out the side in the fifth despite allowing an unearned run. Kikuchi has not won a game yet, but he's been solid thus far with a 3.38 ERA through five starts. Kikuchi lines up to face the Twins on the road in his upcoming start over the weekend.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Remains winless despite QS
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Kikuchi (0-3) took the loss Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over six innings as the Angels were downed 4-0 by the Rangers. He struck out six.
The southpaw produced his third quality start in four outings to begin the season, but a lack of run support kept Kikuchi out of the win column once again -- the Halos have scored a total of 10 runs in his four trips to the mound. Kikuchi tossed 51 of 79 pitches for strikes before exiting, and he'll take a 4.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 22:10 K:BB through 24 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Giants.
Kikuchi (0-2) took the loss in Wednesday's game against Tampa Bay. He gave up four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five across six innings.
All four of the runs Kikuchi yielded came off a Jose Caballero grand slam in the first inning. Kikuchi was able to retire 11 of the next 13 batters he faced and was able to escape the sixth frame without giving up a run after allowing two baserunners. However, the damage from Caballero's grand slam was enough for the southpaw to come away with his second loss of the season. Kikuchi has tossed 104 pitches in each of his last two outings, and he has begun his Angels tenure with a 5.00 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB across 18 innings. He's tentatively slated to start next week on the road against the Rangers, when he'll look to earn his first win in a Halos uniform.
Kikuchi came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 12-5 loss to the Cardinals, giving up three runs on four hits and five walks over six innings. He struck out six.
The southpaw battled both his control and command, tossing only 59 of 104 pitches for strikes and getting tagged for a pair of homers by Ivan Herrera. Even so, Kikuchi was briefly in line for the win when the Halos took a 5-3 lead in the top of the seventh, but the bullpen made a mess of things. Kikuchi has a 4.50 ERA and 11:5 K:BB though his first two trips to the mound for Los Angeles, both of them quality starts, and he'll look for his first win of 2025 in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next week in Tampa Bay.
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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Takes loss in Halos debut
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Kikuchi (0-1) took the loss in Thursday's Opening Day loss to the White Sox. He allowed three runs on five hits while striking out five across six innings.
Kikuchi got off to a nice start with two first-inning strikeouts, but he gave up a solo homer to Austin Slater to open the second frame before relinquishing a two-run double to Miguel Vargas in the same inning. Kikuchi didn't allow a base runner over his last four innings of work, but the Angels weren't able to supply the 33-year-old southpaw enough runs for him to avoid the Opening Day loss. Kikuchi will look to pick up his first win of the season in his next start, which is tentatively slated for the Angels' road series against the Cardinals next week.
Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Concludes spring with five frames
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Kikuchi tossed five innings against Colorado in a Cactus League contest Friday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five batters.
Kikuchi finished the exhibition slate in good form, and he was able to work up to 88 pitches. The southpaw got 13 whiffs among those offerings, including seven with his slider. Of note, Kikuchi threw only two sweepers Friday -- he's been tinkering with the pitch this spring as a potential addition to his arsenal. The veteran hurler's next time on the mound is slated for Opening Day against the White Sox.
Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Implementing sweeper into arsenal
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Kikuchi has added a sweeper to his pitch mix, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Kikuchi has worked with a four-pitch arsenal over the past two campaigns, but it appears he'll have another offering to attack hitters with this season. Bollinger notes that the lefty's new sweeper averages 81 mph with 16 inches of break, so it should give him a much different look than when he uses his traditional slider, which averages 87 mph with two inches of break. Kikuchi excelled in his second start of the spring Friday against the Royals, allowing one run on five hits while issuing three walks and striking out eight batters over 4.1 innings. He indicated that he'll take the mound one more time before the regular season kicks off, but the appearance will be either in a minor-league game or in a simulated setting. Kikuchi has been announced as the Angels' starter on Opening Day against the White Sox on March 27.
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