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Angels Have Decision to Make After Kurt Suzuki’s Comments
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- Angels Have Decision to Make After Kurt Suzuki’s Comments
The Los Angeles Angels face a rotation decision after Kurt Suzuki confirmed the team will review Jack Kochanowicz 's place in the starting staff following another difficult outing against the Dodgers on Saturday.
Kochanowicz struggled heavily in the loss and finished with a 2–6 record after he allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out one batter over one-third of an inning. The Dodgers chased him early and forced the Angels into their bullpen almost immediately, as he failed to get through the first frame in the Freeway Series matchup.
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Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher reported that Suzuki said the Angels would "talk about it and see what our options are" regarding Kochanowicz's rotation spot. The comment reflected growing uncertainty around the right-hander after a stretch of inconsistent results.
Kochanowicz also addressed his struggles after the game. He said his confidence remained intact but admitted he continues to deal with issues in his delivery. He described his focus as getting back to full comfort so his performance can stabilize.
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The outing against the Dodgers continued a sharp downturn in form for the American. He has now allowed 15 runs (14 earned) over his last 6.2 innings across three starts. That stretch pushed his season numbers to a 6.05 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across 64 innings in 13 starts.
Kochanowicz also posted 47 strikeouts and 36 walks, showing ongoing command problems throughout the season. Before Saturday, his recent outings already showed signs of trouble.
He allowed five earned runs in four innings against Detroit , followed by three earned runs in 2.1 innings against Tampa Bay. In between those starts, he gave up at least three earned runs in three of his last five appearances, with only limited length in each outing.
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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz (41) © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Kochanowicz went 3–11 with a 6.81 ERA last year. His ERA was the highest of any pitcher with at least 110 innings pitched, and his strikeout-to-walk rate and home runs allowed per nine innings were among the worst in the majors.
The Angels have now reached a point where they must decide whether to keep the 25-year-old in the rotation or explore alternatives. The club does not have deep major league-ready pitching depth, which complicates the decision.
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Yusei Kikuchi remains unavailable for several more weeks due to injury recovery, removing one potential rotation option. George Klassen offers upside but still lacks consistent readiness at the major league level.
Ryan Johnson has performed well at Double-A, but the team has already promoted him twice this season and may prefer additional development time before another call-up.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
