Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi leaves game at Chicago with left shoulder tightness

CHICAGO (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday’s 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.

Following the Angels’ sixth straight defeat, the two-time All-Star left-hander said through a translator he started feeling the tightness “a little bit” in his previous outing, a 6-3 loss at Kansas City last Friday. He noticed it only when throwing fastballs.

“I felt it today during the first inning when I threw a heater,” he said. “I felt it in the last start, just a little bit, when I threw heaters too. So it was a similar thing, but today I felt it in my first inning.

“It felt like I could push through if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to take any chances. So I decided to sit down.”

Kikuchi was replaced by lefty Mitch Farris, who had been called up from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game after Joey Lucchesi was designated for assignment.

Kikuchi allowed no runs, two hits and a walk with one strikeout. His average fastball velocity dropped from 94.9 mph in the first inning to 92.8 mph in the second.

“We figured we’d just get him out and not take any chances,” manager Kurt Suzuki said after the Angels couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead in the ninth and were swept by Chicago for their sixth straight loss and 10th in 11 games. “We’ll go check it and and re-evaluate it tomorrow, and see how he feel and see where we’re at.”

A 34-year-old from Japan, Kikuchi was an All-Star last season with Los Angeles. He is 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA in 31 innings over seven starts.

Kukuchi is in his eighth major league season and pitched for Seattle, Toronto and Houston before signing as a free agent with the Angels in November 2024. He has a 48-61 career record with a 4.51 ERA.

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