Kikuchi was charged with two unearned runs over two innings against the Reds on Monday. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one.
It was Kikuchi's Cactus League debut. He showcased an ability to hide the ball well with his delivery and made Joey Votto look bad on a strikeout, which isn't easy to do. "Very good curveball," Votto remarked to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. "It's very surprising. In the league right now, there are not many pitchers that throw a curveball like that." Kikuchi will likely start one of the two games between Seattle and Oakland in the Tokyo Dome to kick off the regular season (March 20-21).