Kikuchi gave up two runs on one hit and three walks over 3.1 innings in Friday's split-squad game against the Phillies. He struck out three.
The southpaw got stretched out to 76 pitches, but only 46 of them went for strikes. Kikuchi looked good early in camp but his control has begun to desert him again with Opening Day growing closer, and he now has a 16:9 K:BB through 13 spring innings despite a superficially strong 1.38 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. The 31-year-old has a career 5.02 ERA and 3.67 BB/9 since coming to MLB in 2019, and there's been no real sign this spring he's going to be any more reliable in 2023.