Angels Activate Yusei Kikuchi After Minor League Rehab Stint Goes Up In Flames
The Los Angeles Angels are activating Yusei Kikuchi from the 60-day IL to start Sunday against the Rangers, despite the veteran lefty posting a 15.63 ERA during his minor-league rehab assignment.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min read
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The Los Angeles Angels are officially activating Yusei Kikuchi off the 60-day injured list, which is great news for his shoulder and potentially terrifying news for the team's run differential. MLB Trade Rumors relayed the move on Sunday, clearing the way for the veteran lefty to rejoin the rotation.
Kikuchi is scheduled to take the mound Sunday against the Texas Rangers, marking his first major league action since late April. He spent the last few weeks on a minor-league rehab assignment that went about as well as a screen door on a submarine.
"MLB Trade Rumors tweeted: 'Angels To Activate Yusei Kikuchi Off 60-Day IL'"
According to RotoWire, Kikuchi posted a 15.63 ERA and a 2.37 WHIP over 12.2 innings across four rehab starts. Giving up that much traffic to minor-league hitters is the kind of performance that usually ends with a guy considering a career in real estate, not getting handed a big-league baseball.
To be fair, the Angels are heavily invested in getting him right. Kikuchi is in the second season of a three-year, $63 million contract. He was an All-Star just last year, eating 178 innings and posting a 3.99 ERA before things went off the rails this spring.
The shoulder inflammation popped up after an April 29 start against the Chicago White Sox, pausing a rough 2026 campaign where he was already sitting on a 5.81 ERA. Kikuchi later blamed the issue on trying to pitch through a stomach bug in Kansas City, which led to him altering his mechanics and overcompensating.
Anyone looking at the betting board for Sunday's matchup in Texas is absolutely staring a hole through the Rangers' team total. Fading a pitcher coming off a shoulder injury who just got shelled by teenagers is the kind of angle that makes sportsbooks nervous.
The Angels desperately need the 2025 version of Kikuchi to eventually show up to justify that price tag. We will find out immediately if he was just working on his mechanics in the minors, or if the Rangers are about to turn his return into a track meet.
Key stats
Key stats15.63 ERA and 2.37 WHIP in 12.2 rehab innings
5.81 ERA in 31 innings before injury
3-year, $63 million contract
What's next
Kikuchi will start Sunday against the Texas Rangers, providing an immediate look at whether his shoulder is fully healed or if his minor-league struggles will carry over to the majors.
