Kikuchi had his best start of the season on Tuesday in Texas. He worked efficiently through five shutout frames before a bunt single, throwing error, and sacrifice fly put the Rangers on the board with one run in the sixth. Kikuchi would end the inning and finish the day with six strikeouts on 10 whiffs. The 33-year-old left-hander will take a 4.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 22/10 K/BB ratio across 24 innings into a start against the Giants in Anaheim on Sunday.

The left-hander has now allowed 10 runs in 18 innings this season despite facing the White Sox twice and the Rays once. That’s not exactly inspiring a ton of confidence for the Angels’ big free agent signing. Kikuchi continues to feature his slider, but it had just one whiff on 15 swings tonight for a seven percent whiff rate. The 33-year-old appears to have tweaked his slider this season, throwing it slower with more vertical break, but we’re not entirely sure why since the pitch has really underperformed after carrying him in 2024.

Kikuchi gave the Angels the quality start they badly needed today and even left in line for the win after the team took a 5-3 lead in the top of the seventh. The tired bullpen couldn’t hold it, though. Kikuchi also allowed three runs in six innings against the White Sox his first time out, but he’s yet to earn a win. He’ll face the Rays next.

The 33-year-old southpaw racked up five strikeouts on the afternoon and didn’t allow a base on balls. He served up a solo homer to Austin Slater and a two-run double to Miguel Vargas in the second inning and that was all of the run support that Sean Burke and company would require on Thursday. Kikuchi got 11 swings and misses on 87 pitches on the day — five on his fastball — while registering a CSW of 30 percent. He’ll attempt to get in the win column when he squares off against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday.