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ANAHEIM — Yusei Kikuchi is about to get another chance to show if he can help the Angels’ rotation. The Angels’ five young starters have mostly pitched well lately, and that stretch was interrupted when the 35-year-old Kikuchi came back and gave up five runs in five innings last Sunday .
Kikuchi, who missed nearly four months with a shoulder injury, will start again on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. His biggest problem last time was putting hitters away once he got to two strikes.
He gave up five hits, including two homers, on two-strike pitches last Sunday in Texas. He said through his interpreter he’s been working in bullpens this week on throwing more “strike-balls,” which are balls the hitter perceives as strikes but dart out of the zone.
Kikuchi said he’s feeling “great.” He pointed to the fact that his fastball velocity has been comparable to his peak. “But I feel like being in the big leagues for eight years, I feel like the opposing batters know what kind of pitcher I am, what kind of pitches I throw,” he said.
“I know the average velo in the whole league has been increasing overall, so I need to try to work on something to get ahead of the development of the hit ters.” He said for now he’s working on different grips with his splitter and his fastball, and in the offseason he might try some more radical changes.
In the meantime, he’s enjoying working with Angels interim pitching coach Tim Leveque. Under Leveque, the Angels have used more technology and analytics.
Angels director of minor league pitching Jared Hughes, whose previous titles include pitching analysis, has now been working with the big leaguers too. “I feel like we’re not only working with pitching coach and player, but with R&D involved in all bullpens,” Kikuchi said.
“I feel like our work is moving step by step as a team.” Kikuchi, 35, is nearing the end of the second year of his three-year, $63-million deal. He was an All-Star last season, with a 3.99 ERA, but a slow start and then a lengthy injury have made this season a lost season.
He has a 6.23 ERA after eight starts. “I think the stuff was there,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Kikuchi’s last outing.
“No doubt about that. The stuff was there.
It just comes down to execution. The more he gets out there, the more he’s going to get a feel for his slider and his changeup and his fastball and stuff.
The execution will get bette r the more he gets out there. So, I’m actually looking forward to him getting back on the mound again.” First baseman Nolan Schanuel, who is out with an intercostal muscle strain , has still not been able to do any baseball activity.
Schanuel has done agility drills. “Moving the hips kind of flares it up a little,” Schanuel said on Saturday.
“It’s definitely not as bad as when it first started, so making progress.” Schanuel got hurt on Aug. 20, and there was no noticeable incident that caused the injury.
The Angels didn’t even place him on the injured list until two days later. “I have never had something like this before,” Schanuel said.
“It sucks. We’re just taking it day by day and evaluating the pain level.” Left-hander Samy Natera Jr.
(back) said he felt good during his one-inning rehab outing on Friday night at Rancho Cucamonga. He’s scheduled to pitch again on Sunday at Rancho Cucamonga.
Natera is eligible to be activated on Tuesday. … Right-hander Sam Bachman (forearm radial nerve irritation) has been working out in Arizona.
He’s scheduled to pitch in a game there on Tuesday.
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