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The Los Angeles Angels have had news coming from all directions lately, and the latest bits were about starter Yusei Kikuchi making his first rehab start at Rancho Cucamonga, and according to a report from Rhett Bollinger and Brent Maguire of MLB.com, it was a successful effort.
The left-hander allowed six runs, four of them earned, in three innings, and he and threw 36 of 53 pitches for strikes. He gave up six hits, struck out five batters and didn’t issue a walk.
His start did feature a tech snag, however. Kikuchi didn’t have a PitchCom device available, so he improvised and went with a series of hand signals that probaby helped opposing hitters figure out what he was throwing along with his catcher and therest of his teammates.
“The pitch count was the most important, but we learned that they didn't have PitchCom when we got there, so we had to make something up on the spot,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Koki Goto. “I knew that if I shook off the catcher's sign one or two times, it would be a clock violation, so that's why I made a really simplified version of a sign, which I put on myself. Everyone in the dugout was looking at me, giving the signs. I heard some voices from their dugout, so they knew everything.”
Those issues are minor in a rehab start. What mattered was that Kikuchi said he felt fine physically after his effort, and he got his velocity up to 97 mph. He’s expected to make at least two more appearances before returning to Anaheim.
“Feeling good the next day, it was very important for me,” Kikuchi said. “I'm glad that I feel nothing in my shoulder right now. I felt good from the bullpen, so that's a good thing, and getting the target velo was also important.”
The Angels could also be getting closer Ben Joyce back soon, as he made his third relief appearance with Salt Lake this week, allowing two runs while getting two outs. Joyce could be activated as early as next week, which is good news for a bullpen that’s stretched perilously thin.
More trades are coming, and relievers Brent Suter and Kirby Yates are expected to follow Chase Silseth out the door. The Angels could be on their way to a full rebuild, so Joyce and Kikuchi will be rejoining a team that will be very different from the one they left.
Continue reading...
The left-hander allowed six runs, four of them earned, in three innings, and he and threw 36 of 53 pitches for strikes. He gave up six hits, struck out five batters and didn’t issue a walk.
His start did feature a tech snag, however. Kikuchi didn’t have a PitchCom device available, so he improvised and went with a series of hand signals that probaby helped opposing hitters figure out what he was throwing along with his catcher and therest of his teammates.
“The pitch count was the most important, but we learned that they didn't have PitchCom when we got there, so we had to make something up on the spot,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Koki Goto. “I knew that if I shook off the catcher's sign one or two times, it would be a clock violation, so that's why I made a really simplified version of a sign, which I put on myself. Everyone in the dugout was looking at me, giving the signs. I heard some voices from their dugout, so they knew everything.”
Those issues are minor in a rehab start. What mattered was that Kikuchi said he felt fine physically after his effort, and he got his velocity up to 97 mph. He’s expected to make at least two more appearances before returning to Anaheim.
“Feeling good the next day, it was very important for me,” Kikuchi said. “I'm glad that I feel nothing in my shoulder right now. I felt good from the bullpen, so that's a good thing, and getting the target velo was also important.”
The Angels could also be getting closer Ben Joyce back soon, as he made his third relief appearance with Salt Lake this week, allowing two runs while getting two outs. Joyce could be activated as early as next week, which is good news for a bullpen that’s stretched perilously thin.
More trades are coming, and relievers Brent Suter and Kirby Yates are expected to follow Chase Silseth out the door. The Angels could be on their way to a full rebuild, so Joyce and Kikuchi will be rejoining a team that will be very different from the one they left.
Continue reading...
