Yusei Kikuchi shut down from throwing in hopes to avoid surgery
The Angels announced they have shut down Yusei Kikuchi from throwing with the hopes of avoiding shoulder surgery.
Yusei Kikuchi #16 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches during an MLB game against the Atlanta Braves at Angel Stadium on April 7, 2026 in Anaheim, California. ANAHEIM, Calif. — Answers regarding the severity of left-hander Yusei Kikuchi’s shoulder injury remain a mystery, but it is now known, at least, what the tentative plan is for Kikuchi.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters before Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox that Kikuchi will be shut down from throwing for three to four weeks, and then will begin a throwing program to assess where he is at. The Angels placed Kikuchi on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with shoulder inflammation after leaving his last start on Wednesday after only two innings. It took a few days to put him on the injured list because the Angels wanted to get more answers after the initial MRI was taken.
Although it’s approaching a week after the initial MRI, the Angels still will not say what those results are. “I didn't get the full scope of what happened,” Suzuki said. “All I was told was we're going to shut him down for three to four weeks of no throwing, and then we're going to rehab him and build him back up.
” Just because he isn’t having surgery now, it doesn’t mean that surgery is off the table completely. Especially with the team not revealing what the MRI and other testing show. “Obviously, we'll know more after his rehab, but the initial plan is definitely encouraging,” Suzuki said.