CHICAGO -- Los Angeles Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi was removed with left shoulder tightness after two innings of a 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
"He just felt tightness," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. "We figured just get him out there, not take any chances."
Kikuchi had completed two scoreless innings but was replaced to begin the bottom of the third by left-hander Mitch Farris, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the day.
Kikuchi, 34, was 0-3 with a 6.21 ERA over six starts entering the game. He had made each of his six scheduled starts and thrown 80 or more pitches in each of them. He said that he felt the shoulder discomfort in his last start and again during the first inning on Wednesday when throwing fastballs.
"I felt like I could push through if I wanted to, but I didn't want to take any chances at that moment," Kikuchi said via interpreter Koki Goto. "So I decided to step down."
The Angels signed Kikuchi to a three-year, $63 million contract prior to the 2025 season. He is 48-61 with a 4.51 ERA during his MLB career after moving over from Japan. He made two appearances for his home country during the World Baseball Classic this spring.
He said he was unsure if whether he might miss his next start.
"I'll have to talk with the training staff and see how I feel tomorrow," Kikuchi said.
The Angels designated veteran lefty Joey Lucchesi to open a roster spot for Farris.