Major League Baseball encouraged teams to delay the announcement of opening-day starters to create more excitement around the scheduled games. However, Angels manager Ron Washington disregarded this directive by declaring Yusei Kikuchi as the starter against the Chicago White Sox. Washington stressed that Kikuchi, who recently signed a substantial contract, is expected to be the team's top pitcher. Kikuchi, acknowledging the honor, emphasized his focus on maintaining health throughout the season and achieving steady performance.
"We just signed him to a big contract. We didn't bring him here to be No. 4 or 5. We brought him here to lead our staff."
"Very happy and honored ... but it is just one game. What's most important is staying healthy over 32 starts in a season and putting up the numbers."
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