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When it comes to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, two things are seemingly set in stone: the team is going to win a ton of games and place almost as many pitchers on IL.
From Blake Snell to Roki Sasaki, Blake Treinen and beyond, the Dodgers have had over a dozen different pitchers find themselves on the mend in 2025, and on Tuesday, they added another, placing Michael Kopech on the list with knee inflammation.
Breaking down the decision and how Kopech feels about it, The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya relayed that the decision was largely precautionary, as the reliever didn't want his knee issues to impact his throwing down the line.
“Michael Kopech is going on the IL with right knee inflammation. Will Klein is back up,” Ardaya wrote. “Michael Kopech downplayed the issue. Scans showed just inflammation, and he received an injection. Mostly didn't want to compensate with his drive leg and possibly lead to arm issues.”
Acquired in the Tommy Edman trade last summer, Kopech has been a solid option for the Dodgers so far during his tenure, earning a perfect 4-0 win-loss record while maintaining an ERA of .87 with just 12 hits and a home run allowed over 32 appearances. While a trip to IL is nothing new, as he began the year on the list with arm inflammation, this move has more to do with avoiding further arm issues, which should make it much more palatable for fans in Los Angeles to stomach.
With Shohei Ohtani back on the mound and the nine-figure duo of Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell working their way back from injuries, has Los Angeles finally turned a corner as they prepare for a healthy run down the stretch? While it's hard to say either way, if Kopech can return to his vintage form upon the end of this latest IL stretch, LA's pitching will only grow stronger as a result.
