After a brief scare of “right knee discomfort” during his June 12 start, Michael Kopech will be ready to rejoin the rotation just a week later versus the Astros. Tony La Russa made this announcement today prior to the White Sox series-opener against the Houston Astros.
Kopech, you’ll remember, only managed to record two outs in the first inning before the injury occurred on his 13th pitch. Kopech appeared to catch his foot on the mound and immediately winced in pain. Upon leaving the game, he would slam the ball down in frustration without even being able to throw another warm-up pitch. White Sox fans, no doubt, feared the worst but received great news throughout this week on Kopech’s condition.
In 11 games this season, Kopech is 2-2 with a 1.92 ERA. He has struck out 25.2% of batters and walked 11.9% of them. Before his previous outing, Kopech’s 1.94 ERA was the lowest by a White Sox pitcher through 10 starts since Estaban Loaiza’s 1.92 ERA in 2003. Kopech also leads all major league starters with five games in which he has thrown five or more innings while giving up two or fewer total bases.
Needless to say, it will be great to have Kopech on the mound during Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. He has expressed little doubt about his readiness to pitch but admits there might be some lingering pain for him to deal with. The good news? There’s nothing structurally wrong with his knee and, according to Kopech, no concerns for him throughout the rest of the 2022 campaign.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
