Due to the impact of Michael Kopech‘s injury, the White Sox are altering their starting rotation.
Manager Tony La Russa said postgame that Lance Lynn will be activated tomorrow and start Monday night’s series opener in Detroit. As a result, Dylan Cease will also be bumped up a game and is now expected to get the nod on Tuesday, while Wednesday remains up in the air.
This news is not surprising after how things unfolded in Sunday’s game. Kopech exited after just 13 pitches with a strained right knee, leaving the White Sox to get creative with their bullpen. After Reynaldo Lopez tossed 1.1 scoreless innings, the team turned to Monday’s original probable starter, Johnny Cueto. The 36-year-old gave everything you could’ve asked for on short notice, tossing five innings in relief while recording four strikeouts and three earned runs.
Lynn, 35, has not pitched for the Sox at all this season. He injured his right knee in a Spring Training game, which eventually required surgery due to a slight tendon tear. In 2021, his first with the White Sox, the right-hander went 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 176 strikeouts in 28 starts. He also signed a two-year, $38M extension during the season, with a club option for 2024.
Just recently, Lynn completed three rehab starts with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, going 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and eight strikeouts over 10.0 innings pitched. His last start fell on this past Wednesday, which means he will be on the usual five days’ rest going into tomorrow’s start.
As for Kopech, the right-hander is said to be undergoing further evaluation with no further update given. If the White Sox end up losing their best starter to date for a significant amount of time, it would make sense for the recently demoted Davis Martin to make yet another return. Martin, 25, has done a serviceable job filling in when needed, owning a 4.11 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in 15.1 innings across three spot-starts this year.
As we learn more, we will provide further updates to this article. Be sure to also follow us on social media @SoxOn35th!
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Boy who hasn’t been injured ?