Angels ace takes bitter shot at organization after removal from September start

With the Los Angeles Angels plummeting towards the bottom of MLB standings, frustrations are beginning to boil over from the players that are still healthy. Interim manager Ray Montgomery is doing his best to manage the personalities in the clubhouse as he tries to stake his case to have the interim tag removed from his job title heading into 2026. However, he is clearly not doing great at quelling frustrations given what the team's no. 1 starter just said in front of the media following their seventh straight loss that dropped them to 15 games below .500 and into last place of the American League West.

Angels ace takes bitter shot at organization after removal from September start

In the Angels series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Angels were winning 2-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Kikuchi had men on first and second base and two outs, when Montgomery decided to lift him in favor of José Fermin. Kikuchi was in line to face Caleb Durbin, who he walked and allowed an infield single to in the game. The Angels ace was at 92 pitches when Montgomery decided to go to the bullpen, which Kikuchi took umbrage with after the game given that Fermin cashed in one of his runs and lost the team its lead.

“All year I’ve been grinding for the team,” Kikuchi said. “So in that spot, I wanted to be trusted a little bit more and I felt like I wasn’t trusted in that moment.”

That's a pretty blatant shot at Ray Montgomery and the Angels by one of the last players they want to alienate. Kikuchi's been reeled in majorly this season, as the team's horse has only pitched more than 6.0 innings in four of his 32 starts. Kikuchi was rolling against the best team in baseball, and removing a guy who was competing hard in that spot showed a distinct lack of feel by Montgomery. The Angels have no shortage of managerial candidates for 2026, and this feels like it could be the final nail in Montgomery's coffin.

The interim manager has a built-in excuse for removing Kikuchi -- the Angels are not making the postseason, Kikuchi is 34-years-old and in the first year of his three-year contract and they are making an effort to manage his workload in this now-lost season. Kikuchi has not thrown 100 or more pitches this month, and has not done so since August 9th against Detroit.

Kikuchi only average 5.1 innings per start this year, and it appears he has hit a boiling point in his perceived lack of trust. He has been one of the most dependable players on the roster, and especially the pitching staff, so at a certain point it becomes fair to question why the team has lifted him early in starts all year long.

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