After being purchased by the Chicago White Sox in 2016, Michael Kopech’s adventure on the South Side appears to be coming to an end. It has been a long and winding one. Even though he showed moments of brilliance, his 2023 season was terrible due to command problems and injuries. Leading MLB in walks, the native Texan was placed on the injured list twice.
This previous season brought both accomplishments and tribulations for the 27-year-old. He struggled on the mound in April, much like a few of his teammates, and ended the month with an ERA higher than seven. But Kopech turned things around in his next 11 starts, going 60.1 innings with a 2.83 ERA. The 33 walks he issued during this phase showed that, despite this improvement, control issues remained.
After a June 27 start against the Los Angeles Angels, that run came to an end when Kopech was placed on the injured list due to irritation in his shoulder. After his return on July 14, his season took a turn for the worst.
Leg cramping forced Kopech to leave a start against the Seattle Mariners in late August.
In his next two starts, Kopech only made it through four and 1.2 innings, respectively, before being lifted. In two brief outings, he walked nine batters.
The righty was then demoted by the White Sox to a multi-inning bullpen job. Kopech’s circumstances in the bullpen did not get any better; in 3.2 innings in four appearances, he recorded a 14.73 ERA. His season was cut short during his second trip on the IL in September when surgery was necessary to remove a cyst from his knee.