Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech seems to be encouraged after undergoing surgery on his right knee ahead of the 2023 MLB season.
Kopech is recovering from his knee injury at spring training and expects to be ready for 2023 Opening Day. The White Sox starter believes that he can improve on his 2022 campaign, which was derailed by injuries.
“There's a little bit of relief knowing that I wasn’t just trying hard and it not coming out last year,” Michael Kopech told reporters. “There was something that I had to fight through, which take it with a grain of salt. I'm going to battle through everything that I have to battle though. But ultimately, I want to be as healthy as I can and I’m on track to do that now.”
Kopech went 5-9 with a 3.54 ERA in 119.1 innings. The White Sox pitcher spent time on the injured list in August with left knee discomfort. Shoulder inflammation put Kopech on the IL for good on Sept. 17.
Kopech started 25 games, more than tripling his eight career starts to begin the year. The right-hander has high hopes for the 2023 season, during which he wants to make 30 starts.
“He’s got to go through the process, but he’s right on pace to be where we want him to be at the start of the season,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said.
Kopech has a 3.64 ERA in 73 career appearances. The 26-year-old missed the 2019 and 2020 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
It's not only Kopech who is looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to his season in Chicago. The White Sox were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball.
Chicago missed the 2022 playoffs with an 81-81 record, winning 12 fewer games than they had the year prior.
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