ANAHEIM -- It’s no great secret that 2026 has not gone how Yusei Kikuchi imagined it.
The 35-year-old southpaw landed on the injured list on May 3 (retroactive to April 30) with left shoulder tightness after just seven starts, sidelining him for 98 games over nearly four months. He was 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA at the time.
Since returning on Aug. 23, Kikuchi has shown flashes of the talent that earned him a three-year, $63 million deal in 2024 that remains the largest free-agent contract the Angels have handed out since Anthony Rendon’s $245 million megadeal before the 2020 season.
On Aug. 30 against the Phillies, Kikuchi tossed seven innings of two-run ball, his longest start of the season, with six punchouts. He followed it up with a scoreless effort in Pittsburgh on Sept. 5 to earn his lone win of the season, and his first in nearly a full calendar year.
But the struggles have returned. In Wednesday’s 7-2 loss to the Mariners at Angel Stadium, Kikuchi surrendered five runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks in only 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four, but his five free passes were the most he’s allowed in a start since June 3, 2025.
“All the walks I allowed turned into runs. Giving up runs like that, it’s very regrettable,” Kikuchi said through team interpreter Koki Goto.
The Angels’ defense did its starter no favors. The Halos’ second error of the night cost them two runs in the top of the fifth inning, when Vaughn Grissom threw the ball into left field on a double-play attempt with the bases loaded. The misfire extended Seattle’s lead to 5-2 and knocked Kikuchi from the game.
Despite the final box score, there were signs of hope for Kikuchi on Wednesday.
Between his rough 37-pitch opening frame (including three singles and a walk) and the three-run fifth, Kikuchi settled down considerably. He retired the side in the second on 12 pitches, worked around two baserunners in the third and induced a double play in the fourth to erase a fielding error by Zach Neto and escape the inning on nine pitches.
“Obviously the tempo of the [37-pitch] first inning was a little tough, but I thought he battled through it,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “The tempo can get kind of stale a little bit, and it can even get guys on their heels a little bit more, but I thought Kikuchi battled out there.”
In all, Kikuchi threw 99 pitches (60 strikes), generating seven whiffs. His slider velocity was up 1.2 mph over his season average, and his curveball was up 2.1 mph. He said he knew from the beginning of the game that he didn’t have his best stuff, but he credited the Angels’ offense with battling back to tie the game at 2-2 in the second inning.
Unfortunately for Kikuchi and the Angels, the offense ended there. Despite outhitting the Mariners, 10-9, the Halos left 14 men on base while going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Kikuchi is likely lined up for two more starts. While it’s too late for him to fully salvage his frustrating 2026 campaign, Kikuchi has the opportunity to end on a high note and enter the offseason with a slightly less bitter taste in his mouth.
“The games I perform well, I feel like I was able to attack the zone with the stuff I have,” Kikuchi said. “And I know that if I’m able to do that, I’ll get good results, and today just wasn’t that day.”
For Suzuki, the task for the eight-year MLB veteran is pretty simple.
“I think he just needs to pitch, right?” Suzuki said. “When you have an injury, it’s tough to come back, especially [with an] arm injury for him. But I think with Kikuchi, his routine, his program that he does between starts to strengthen up and to stay in shape, I think is pretty incredible.
“Really just to finish off the year, I’d like to see him keep going out there, keep attacking. He’s been doing a really good job getting to two strikes, and now when you get to two strikes, maybe execute a little bit more. But I think there’s a lot of positives with Kikuchi.”