Ahead of Tuesday's game, Kikuchi revealed that he did not receive an offer from the Blue Jays during free agency. He expressed understanding, noting the emergence of Bowden Francis in the second half of the previous season. However, Kikuchi also shared his affection for Toronto, stating he "loves Toronto" and misses his time there.

The Toronto Blue Jays suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, losing the rubber match of their three-game series at Rogers Centre. Despite a promising start, the Blue Jays' bullpen faltered in the later innings,

Initially, that hasn't been enough to put the team into a playoff position, but the Blue Jays haven't stopped there. On Monday, the team signed veteran starter Spencer Turnbull in