HOUSTON — Yusei Kikuchi is about to rejoin the Angels’ starting rotation for the first time in more than three months.

When he pitches and who, if anyone, he replaces are yet to be determined.

Even though Kikuchi had a 15.63 ERA in four rehab games, two at Triple-A and two at Class-A, Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said the team has seen enough to feel like he’s ready.

“The results weren’t probably what (Kikuchi) wanted, but I think the velocity was there and all the other metrics looked OK,” Suzuki said. “We know he’s probably just going to get better and better. That’s what we’re assuming. When it comes to adrenaline and the big league ball game and stuff like that, we feel like it’s going to be back to normal.”

Kikuchi went on the injured list with shoulder inflammation after an April 29 start. At first there was some concern that he might need season-ending surgery. Instead, he slowly rehabbed, and now he’s going to be back in the rotation.

Kikuchi said before his last start, on Saturday at Rancho Cucamonga, that his stuff felt good, and his primary objectives for his last game were getting into the fifth inning and getting his velocity up to 97 mph.

The soonest Kikuchi could be inserted into the rotation would be Thursday in Houston. The Angels are currently scheduled to have Grayson Rodriguez start on Thursday, followed by Reid Detmers and Ryan Johnson on Friday and Saturday, respectively, against the Texas Rangers.

One possibility, Suzuki said, would be to go with a six-man rotation.

The Angels don’t have another off day until Aug. 27, after a nine-game stretch. Putting an extra starter in that stretch would work for the starters, but it could present a problem for the bullpen. The Angels would then have only seven relievers, instead of the normal eight.

The Angels will need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Kikuchi, who is currently on the 60-day injured list.

CATCHER TRIO

The Angels have had three catchers on the roster since acquiring Moisés Ballesteros at the trade deadline. Since the Angels want to get a look at their new catcher, Ballesteros will catch at least one game per series.

Between the two veterans, the Angels clearly are favoring Tyler Heineman. That means that Travis d’Arnaud has been the odd man out. He started just twice in a 12-game span.

Suzuki said even though d’Arnaud isn’t playing much, he’s still providing value.

“He helps out in the clubhouse, does a lot of things to help the other catchers see things differently,” Suzuki said. “It’s definitely been a help.”

NOTES

First baseman Trey Mancini announced his retirement on social media. Mancini played his last major league games with the Angels in June. His retirement ends an eight-year career that was mostly spent with the Baltimore Orioles. He overcame colon cancer in 2020 to return to the big leagues and was the 2021 American League Comeback Player of the Year. “You hear all the stories about him being a good guy and then when you are actually around him on a daily basis, you really see how great of a guy he is and the impact he makes in the clubhouse,” Suzuki said. “What a great career. He did a lot of great things in the game.” …

The Angels’ farm system has received a significant boost with the additions from the draft and the trade deadline, according to several outlets that rank prospects. Baseball America bumped the Angels to 14th from 28th before the season. MLB Pipeline moved them to No. 17 from No. 28. FanGraphs ranked them 18th after being 27th before the season.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Walbert Ureña, 8-8, 2.67 ERA) at Astros (RHP Ethan Pecko, major-league debut), Wednesday, 5:10 p.m. PT, ABTV, 830 AM