Blue Jays' Kikuchi says lack of sleep played a role in early departure

It appears Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi has a sleep schedule that most people could only dream of. 

Kikuchi left Tuesday's win over the New York Yankees in the sixth inning due to a left upper trap muscle cramp. 

Following the game, the 32-year-old from Japan told the media that he should be fine to pitch in his next start and also revealed that the reason for his early departure was due to lack of sleep the night before. 

Kikuchi said he only got 11 hours of sleep Monday night, a few hours less than his usual 13 or 14 hours. He added that he typically goes to bed around 11pm and wakes up the next day at 1pm. 

Kikuchi was putting together another solid start before his exit, allowing one run on four hits with seven strikeouts over five innings of work. 

In the sixth, Kikuchi threw a pitch to DJ LeMahieu before massaging the left side of his neck, which brought manager John Schneider and the team’s training staff to the mound. After a brief discussion, Kikuchi was removed from the game and replaced by reliever Yimi Garcia.

Kikuchi is having a career season in 2023 in his second campaign with the Blue Jays, posting a 10-6 record with a 3.74 ERA, 1.242 WHIP and 170 strikeouts over 30 starts and 158.2 innings pitched. 

With a 7-1 win over the Yankees in the series opener, the Blue Jays have won four in a row and are 84-67 on the season. They own the second Wild Card spot in the American League, a full game ahead of the Texas Rangers and Settle Mariners with 11 games remaining.