PEORIA, Ariz. -- Here are the takeaways from Friday’s Cactus League action for the White Sox.

Michael Kopech threw two innings in a live batting practice session Friday on the back fields of Camelback Ranch, marking his first multi-inning effort during Spring Training.

The right-hander, who is moving from the bullpen back to the rotation in 2022, will get his first Cactus League start sometime next week. Kopech continues a gradual buildup toward the regular season, with his outings being controlled innings-wise at the outset.

“I felt good. Some adjustment,” Kopech said. “I kind of went out there and dogged it a little bit because I was a little tired. I think that’s what this is for, building back up. It could have gone a little bit better for me. I could have focused and thrown some more pitches.

“I was trying to fight through some tiredness. Tried to gear up, and that’s something I don’t really need to do. I have that gear already. It’s getting back in that starter routine and realizing that going back out for the next inning isn’t a bigger inning than the inning before. Just do what you did before. It’s just trying to stay even keeled. I have to get back into that routine.”

Kopech faced Zack Remillard, Zack Collins and Adam Engel and had the chance to be able to sit in between “ups” like a regular start. Manager Tony La Russa thought Kopech was better in the second, and just needs to throw more.

“It was a good feeling to be able to sit down and take a breath and reflect on what you did and try to go out there and make adjustments,” Kopech said. “To be positive about what happened today, I was able to do that a couple of times.

“I had some early sliders that were good pitches, but not really competitive just because of where they were located and I went back out there and was able to put them in more of a competitive spot. Made some good adjustments, some changes from inning to inning, which is kind of the name of the game when you are starting.”

One pitch to Collins got away from Kopech and hit the top of the screen to his left. Kopech laughed, though, when asked if it was a message pitch.

“No,” a smiling Kopech said. “If it was a message pitch, he would have known.”

Cease opens strong

Dylan Cease struck out five over three innings in Friday night's 3-0 loss to the Mariners, hitting 98 mph on the Peoria Sports Complex scoreboard speed gun in his first 2022 Cactus League start.

“The main thing is just strikes and count leverage, getting ahead,” Cease said. “I did a decent job with it. It was an OK first outing. Nothing super special and it wasn’t horrible. Pretty good.”