Angels' Yusei Kikuchi to miss time due to shoulder injury

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May 6, 2026 - 02:43

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Angels' Yusei Kikuchi to miss time due to shoulder injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Last year was one to remember for Yusei Kikuchi, who took to the mound for the Los Angeles Angels for the first time, ending the season with seven wins to his name, as well as a 3.99 ERA and a WHIP of 1.42.

His overall efficiency on the mound, as well as his SO9 rate of 9.2 prior to the mid-season classic, would see the Japanese ace get named to the second All-Star team of his career, with his first appearance coming in the 2021 season when he was with the Seattle Mariners.

But the 34-year-old has struggled to find similar success in 2026, posting a 0-3 record through his first seven starts, doing so with a 5.81 ERA and a WHIP of 1.58, both marks above where he was last year.

Kikuchi's latest setback

Kurt Suzuki said Yusei Kikuchi will not have surgery, but when asked what the doctors found, Suzuki said

“I didn't get the full scope of what happened. All I was told was, we're gonna shut them down for 3-4 weeks of no throwing, and then we're gonna rehab and build him back up.”— Jack Janes (@JackJanes_) May 5, 2026

It appears that the Japanese ace will have to wait some time to improve his numbers, as he’ll miss some significant time due to a shoulder injury. As reported by The Sporting Tribune’s Jack Janes, Kikuchi will be shut down for 3-4 weeks, having to go the duration without throwing, according to Angels’ head coach Kurt Suzuki.

“All I was told was, we're gonna shut them down for 3-4 weeks of no throwing,” Suzuki told reporters. “And then we're gonna rehab and build him back up.”

Yusei Kikuchi removes himself from the game after throwing a few warm up pitches before the third inning pic.twitter.com/TpPBPrj0m7— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 29, 2026

This latest development comes after the 34-year-old was placed on the Angels' 15-day injured list over the weekend after coming out of a match against the Chicago White Sox.

This setback comes at a tough time in the season for Los Angeles, as they’re posting a record of 13-23 heading into Tuesday night’s action, which sees them in the last spot in the American League West.