White Sox starter Michael Kopech envisioned himself pitching 180 innings or more this season. And the Sox are seriously counting on that kind of contribution from him in the future, given that only he and Dylan Cease might return in their 2024 rotation.
But after being put on the injured list this week with inflammation in his right shoulder, Kopech, 27, knows that 180 innings will have to wait until next year. Going on the IL right before the All-Star break was a way of addressing mounting fatigue as his current innings total (86) approaches his single-season career high (119 1/3).
“It got to a point where it seemed like it was taking more to fight than it was to compete, so we shut it down,” Kopech said Friday. “It was a lot of fatigue and a lot of, probably, just general wear. But being able to bounce back is a part of being an athlete. So I had to get a little bit of help this time.”
Kopech has a bullpen session scheduled Saturday and expects to pitch soon after the All-Star break, possibly in the first series against the Braves. Manager Pedro Grifol expressed confi-dence that amid this brief shutdown, and after compiling a 4.08 ERA in the first half, Kopech is still on his way to establishing himself as a top-of-the-rotation starter.
Not that Kopech — who finished 2022 on the IL after surgery to repair a torn right menis-cus — is happy with this interruption.
“If I can be critical of myself a little bit of what I’ve done this year, I’ve competed well but not pitched well when I haven’t had my best stuff,” he said. “That’s what makes the greats in this game great — in that they find a way no matter what.”
MLB Draft prep
Sunday will mark scouting director Mike Shirley’s fourth year running the Sox’ draft. Although he made a point of reiterating Friday his willingness to take chances on high school talent — the Sox used first-round picks on Colson Montgomery and Noah Schultz the last two years — he sees college position players as the strength of this year’s class. The Sox’ first pick is No. 15 overall.
“There’s seven players in this draft we think are elite — outside of that, you’re looking for a touch more risk on a high school guy,” Shirley said. “The college position players are the depth of the draft. The span of those players, from No. 7 on, is a similar player.”
Recent mock drafts by Baseball America and ESPN have connected the Sox to Oklahoma third baseman Tommy Troy, Miami third baseman Yohandry Morales and Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander.
Promotion for Comas
This spring, Sox pitching prospect Anderson Comas became the second-known active player in an MLB organization to come out as gay. After allowing just two earned runs in 16‰ innings out of the bullpen in the Arizona Complex League, the 23-year-old lefty was promoted Friday to the Sox’ Low-A Kannapolis affiliate.
As it happens, Friday is Pride Night at the ballpark for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
