Kikuchi allowed an earned run on two hits and two walks across three innings in Monday's Cactus League loss to Cleveland, his second start of spring training.
Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Kikuchi needed a mound visit after a rocky start, but he subsequently settled down, inducing six straight groundouts at one point. Kikuchi's fastball velocity was also impressive for the second time in as many starts, consistently averaging between 95 and 96 mph and climbing as high as 97. "All my pitches feel great, and I was able to throw my splitter and was even able to throw one to a lefty, (Eddie) Rosario. It felt great," Kikuchi said. "One hung up there and ended up being a home run. Other than that, really good."