ANAHEIM — Yusei Kikuchi is moving closer and closer to his return to the Angels.
Kikuchi made his third rehab start on Sunday for Triple-A Salt Lake and pitched 3⅓ innings, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. His fastball averaged 95.5 mph and his splitter averaged 88 mph, more than a full mph above his season average.
“It was good. He feels good,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “… All the reports (are) he’s feeling good, so that’s definitely a good sign.”
The 36-year-old left-hander has been on the injured list since April 30 with left shoulder inflammation. He will either make his next start with the Angels or have one more rehab start with Salt Lake before returning.
“We’ll kind of talk it over and kind of discuss it, see if he needs another one or he’ll come back,” Suzuki said. “Right now, we haven’t decided yet. But I think the next couple days, we’ll decide what the next steps are.”
Kikuchi went 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA in seven starts before going on the IL. He was sidelined for more than three months before making his first rehab start with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 30. He has made his last two rehab starts for Salt Lake in the hitter-friendly environments of the Pacific Coast League.
Overall, he has surrendered 14 earned runs on 15 hits in eight innings for a 15.75 ERA in his three rehab starts, though he has 16 strikeouts.
ANDERSON TO IL, PERALTA RECALLED
The Angels placed right-hander Shaun Anderson on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and recalled left-hander Sammy Peralta from Triple-A Salt Lake prior to Monday’s series opener against Texas.
Peralta, 28, posted a 7.59 ERA in five relief appearances for the Angels last year and was waived in the offseason. He made two appearances for the Colorado Rockies this year before being designated for assignment and re-signed a minor league deal with the Angels on June 27.
“It feels great to be back,” Peralta said. “I’m grateful for this opportunity. I just want to get to work.”
Peralta surrendered 17 earned runs on 29 hits in 16⅓ innings with Salt Lake. He joins Samy Natera Jr., Tayler Saucedo and Blake Weiman as left-handed options in the Angels’ bullpen.
“He gives us an arm in the bullpen who comes in, throws strikes, attacks the zone,” Suzuki said. “Crafty, knows how to pitch. We like his arm down there.”
BACHMAN ON THE MEND
Reliever Sam Bachman played catch from 60 feet before the game and reported no issues after throwing.
The right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL with right forearm radial nerve inflammation on June 5 and returned home during the Angels’ road trip.
He does not have a set return date, but Suzuki expressed optimism that Bachman is “on the road to recovery.”
UP NEXT
Rangers (LHP Cody Bradford, 0-0, 0.00 ERA) at Angels (Ryan Johnson, 2-6, 7.11 ERA), Tuesday, 6:38 p.m., ABTV, 830 AM