Kikuchi (0-4) took the loss Sunday against the Rangers, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.
Making his first start since April 29 after a lengthy absence due to shoulder inflammation, Kikuchi picked up where his early-season struggles left off. The left-hander surrendered home runs to Ezequiel Duran and Elias Diaz and allowed five earned runs for the third time in eight major-league starts this season. Kikuchi posted a 5.81 ERA and 1.58 WHIP across seven outings before landing on the injured list and was hit hard during his rehab assignment, allowing 22 earned runs over 12.2 innings. He'll look for better results in his next scheduled start Sunday against the Phillies.