Kopech returns to hill in relief, throws heat

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Tuesday’s Cactus League contest against the Padres marked the first time since March 10, 2020, Michael Kopech took the mound for the White Sox.

Kopech was in the final stretch of his rehab and return process from Tommy John surgery he underwent in Sept. 2018 when he made that Cactus League start one year ago against the Rangers, and his first four pitches clocked in at over 100 mph. Kopech was the last Cactus League starter for the White Sox last season, with the season being shut down three days later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kopech then elected not to pitch during the abbreviated campaign when baseball returned for its regular season start in July.

On Tuesday, once again at Camelback Ranch, Kopech began the relief phase of his career by following starter Lance Lynn and Will Carter to the mound in the fourth inning of a 4-2 loss. “Phase” might be too all-encompassing of a word, in that Kopech will begin the season as part of the bullpen but could move into the rotation before it ends.

But for nine pitches, seven of which were strikes, the right-hander looked very comfortable.

“It felt good to be back out there. Definitely had been anticipating it,” said Kopech during an in-game Zoom. “I think I talked to my family a little bit about it in the past week or so and acknowledged it had been about a year to the date. It’s been a while obviously, but it just felt good to knock some rust off and get back out there and compete.

“A little bit of a different scenario coming out of the bullpen. I’m glad I got that opportunity under my belt. Kind of being back out there with those guys after it being so long, it was nice to feel like I’m part of a team again.”

The game’s No. 39 prospect overall and No. 2 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline, opened with a fastball, slider, curve ball combination to Austin Nola, who grounded out on the third pitch. First baseman Andrew Vaughn made a nice scoop of third baseman Matt Reynolds’ throw, producing a little emotion from Kopech just off the mound.

Jorge Mateo was called out on strikes on a 98 mph fastball, with four of Kopech’s five pitches in the at-bat hitting at least 97 mph and topping out at 99. Ivan Castillo hit the next pitch, a 99 mph fastball, for an inning-ending fly ball to center fielder Luis Robert.

All of Kopech’s work came out of the stretch, which is how he will approach innings as a reliever. It was a piece of advice given to him by closer Liam Hendriks.

“You don’t want to waste time going windup and then have to get used to what you feel like going out of the stretch,” said Kopech of the advice. “And by the time you get out to the game, you may feel better in one than the other, and then you’re in your head about that. He kind of simplified things like that for me.

“If I’m going to be coming out of the bullpen for part of this year at least and maybe throughout the season, I need to be a guy that’s ready to compete with runners in scoring position. I don’t think it’s really much time or give and take there, to kind of go from working on the modified windup to then having to get to the stretch. It’s easiest for me to just have that stretch mindset the entire time if there’s runners on base.”

Garrett Crochet, who went from the team’s top pick in the 2020 Draft to blowing away hitters with his 100 mph fastballs over five appearances and six scoreless innings last year, followed Kopech in the fifth Tuesday. It was the first time this high-octane relief duo had been paired together.

Crochet and Kopech don’t seem to be worried about velocity, with Kopech only looking at the scoreboard radar reading to check on his slider or changeup.

“Sometimes that stuff can run up or run down and it won't be as effective of a pitch as I want it to be,” Kopech said. “But as far as the fastball goes, I know I'm a hard thrower and I've always been a hard thrower and me seeing if it's one or two miles per hour above where it usually is really doesn't do me any good.”

“Right now he’s able to go attack big league hitters and know he can get them out,” Lynn said. “If he does that with the stuff he has, he’s going to be just fine.”

Each outing for Kopech will help him learn more about this new role. But Tuesday’s effort certainly seemed like a good start.

“I’m not setting up guys to have to face them two or three times per game. I'm not necessarily having to set up guys for the next guy and so on and so on,” Kopech said. “I'm going out there with my best stuff every time and trying to throw that.

“So, that's really exciting to me, to not have to strategically plan for the whole game and really just do my best pitch to pitch. It was fun today but moving forward it will probably be more fun.”