Why Yusei Kikuchi exited Angels-White Sox game on Wednesday

Story by

Joey Mistretta, ClutchPoints

Wed, April 29, 2026 at 7:27 PM UTC ·

2 min read

Why Yusei Kikuchi exited Angels-White Sox game on Wednesday appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Los Angeles starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi exited Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox due to left shoulder tightness, the team announced. Kikuchi seemingly noticed something while warming up before the bottom of the third inning.

Video via Talkin’ Baseball:

The training staff spoke with Kikuchi and the left-handed pitcher ended up leaving the game. He did not allow any runs across two innings on the mound before exiting ahead of the third inning.

Starting pitching has been a strength at times for the Halos this season. Jose Soriano has stepped up , while Reid Detmers has had some respectable outings. Although the starting pitching has had good moments this year, it has struggled in recent seasons. The Angels are hoping it can perform well all season, and Kikuchi is expected to play a crucial role in the potential success despite his early season struggles.

Kikuchi, 34, entered Wednesday’s game with a 6.21 ERA in 2026. In 2025, however, he was an All-Star. Kikuchi ended up finishing the ’25 campaign with a 3.99 ERA in 33 starts. It was a strong first year for Kikuchi with the Angels after he had previously spent time with the Seattle Mariners , Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros .

The Angels will continue to monitor and provide updates on Yusei Kikuchi’s injury status as they are made available. They are obviously hoping that he will not have to miss too much time. For now, the Halos will focus on looking to defeat the White Sox in Chicago. They hold a 2-1 lead as of this story’s writing.