Angels’ Yusei Kikuchi Replaced by Rays Pitcher on AL All-Star Team

Jul 7, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) throws against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Major League Baseball announced Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen has replaced Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi on the American All-Star team's active roster for the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Drew Rasmussen has been added to the American League All-Star team

He replaces Yusei Kikuchi on the AL's active roster pic.twitter.com/wrN1Wi0C8Z

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2025

Kikuchi is the probable pitcher for the Halos on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, so he will not be able to pitch in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. He is the only Angel to be selected so far, meaning the Angels may not have a representative on the team.

More news: Angels Shockingly Demote Starting Pitcher to Triple-A Amid Major Struggles

This was Kikuchi's second All-Star selection, as he was also the sole recipient of the honor for the Seattle Mariners in 2021. He has a 3.02 ERA this season through 19 starts, and leads the Halos in ERA, strikeouts and ERA+.

“All my teammates were really happy for me,” Kikuchi said after general manager Perry Minasian broke the news. "Perry came in and delivered a really heartfelt message. It really got to me. Like, I got a little emotional. But I just have this feeling that I want to do something special with this team this year.”

Kikuchi is also having the best season of his career so far, as his ERA is far superior to numbers he has put up in the past. He has also cut the long ball out of his game, as his mark of 1.0 home runs per nine innings is better than all of his past seasons except for the shortened 2020 campaign.

After this season, Kikuchi still has two years with the Angels, who will hope he can continue to produce All-Star caliber seasons as their young core grows.

More news: Angels Outfielder Linked to 3 Teams in Potential Trade Deadline Shocker

That's not to say the Angels are out of the mix yet in 2025, however. The Angels strung together a solid May and June, and despite a rough month of July so far, they are still in the race for a spot in the AL Wild Card. They sit four games back of the Boston Red Sox, and have the chance to close the gap against the Diamondbacks before the All-Star Break.

Their series against the D-Backs kicks off on Friday at 6:38 p.m. PT.

For more Angels news, head over to Angels on SI.