Angels Place Kikuchi on 15-Day IL, Call Up Saucedo

The Los Angeles Angels placed left-handed starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on the 15-day injured list Sunday with left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to April 30, ahead of their series finale against the New York Mets. The team selected the contract of left-hander Tayler Saucedo from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill the roster spot.

Kikuchi, 34, exited his start against the Chicago White Sox on April 29 after two scoreless innings, leaving the mound following a warmup pitch before the third. Initially diagnosed with shoulder tightness, he underwent an MRI on Friday. Angels general manager Perry Minasian said further evaluation is underway. "He's got some shoulder stuff, some soreness, so we're just waiting to see how it progresses," Minasian said. "He's getting looked at, he will get looked at again and we will go from there."

The injury compounds a challenging start to Kikuchi's 2026 season, where he went 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA over seven outings and 31 innings. He recorded 33 strikeouts but issued 14 walks while allowing 35 hits. Kikuchi has been adjusting his arm slot this year after earning his second All-Star nod last season, his first with the Angels, when he posted a 7-11 record...