Yusei Kikuchi, who once pitched for the Blue Jays, is finally back on a big-league mound today.
The left-hander is coming off the 60-day IL to start against the Rangers, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.
Los Angeles has a full 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move is needed just to clear the space for his activation.
Kikuchi signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Angels heading into last season, and it looked like money well spent at first.
He threw 178.1 innings with a 3.99 ERA in 2025, leading Angels starters with 174 strikeouts and totaling 8.7 fWAR across three seasons there.
This year fell apart fast. He lasted just two innings against the White Sox on April 29, working with diminished velocity.
Left shoulder inflammation sent him to the 15-day IL, then a shutdown, then the 60-day IL to clear a roster spot entirely.
Why the underlying numbers say he's still the same pitcher
Before the injury, Kikuchi carried a rough 5.81 ERA over seven starts. The full picture is more forgiving than that number suggests.
Opponents hit .352 on balls in play against him, well above his career .308 mark and the league's .289 average.
His strikeout rate, walk rate, and 95.4 mph fastball velocity all lined up close to his 2025 form, suggesting bad luck more than decline.
The Angels need him regardless of immediate results. Their rotation ranks 17th in baseball with a 4.31 ERA.
Reid Detmers has broken out this season, and Walbert Ureña has held down a solid mid-rotation role.
Beyond them, it's been rough. Grayson Rodriguez, Jack Kochanowicz, and Ryan Johnson have all posted ERAs above 5.00, and Kochanowicz is done for the year after Tommy John surgery.
If Kikuchi rounds back into form, he slots in as a real No. 2 behind Detmers, and he's still under contract through 2027 at $21 million.
For a Blue Jays fan base that remembers him fondly, this is a quiet reminder of how far he's come since leaving Toronto, four months of rehab and all.
Do you think Yusei Kikuchi bounces back to his 2025 form for the Angels?
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