Yusei Kikuchi left the Angels' game against the White Sox on April 29, 2026, after pitching two innings and going to the clubhouse with the team’s head trainer before the start of the third inning. Mitch Farris came in to replace him.
The injury was first described as undisclosed before the update identified it as left shoulder tightness. Dan Johnson said, "Kikuchi left the game with left shoulder tightness."
Kikuchi had been working through the early part of the game when the Angels made the change, and the timing mattered because it came before the third inning even began. In a live injury update during the White Sox/Angels game, the wording shifted from generic uncertainty to a more specific concern, which is often the first sign teams give when a pitcher’s night ends early.
The immediate question is not whether he was able to finish the outing. It is whether the shoulder tightness is a short-term issue or something that will affect what comes next for the Angels, who turned the ball over to Farris as soon as Kikuchi exited.
