A few weeks ago, the White Sox shut down Michael Kopech with right shoulder inflammation. The team mentioned that there was no long-term concern with the shoulder.
However, we also know that Kopech has dealt with issues throughout the season with his knee, and today, the team announced that Michael Kopech underwent surgery on Thursday on his right knee in order to address a tear in his meniscus. Kopech is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
Kopech, 26, has battled through injuries for much of the season. It started back on June 12 when he exited a game with inflammation in his left knee and described feeling a “pop.” An MRI later confirmed that he had fluid buildup, but there was no structural damage to be concerned about. Kopech effectively avoided an IL stint and returned to the rotation after getting his knee drained. However, that same knee would flare up again and force him to exit an August 23 outing in Kansas City, putting him on the shelf for a couple of weeks shortly after.
It appears that Kopech was pitching with knee pain for most of the season post-injury, which explains the drop-off in velocity and performance. Following that injury, Kopech threw 67.2 innings and posted a 4.79 ERA and a rather unorthodox 18.5% strikeout rate. For comparison, Kopech had a 25.2% strikeout rate before the injury and had nearly 2-3 mph more on his fastball.
Hopefully, Kopech will be able to return to full strength in Spring Training and improve upon his injury-plagued 2022 season.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
