White Sox RHP Michael Kopech leaves game due to right knee discomfort

Michael Kopech lasted only 13 pitches into his start against the Texas Rangers, as the Chicago White Sox right-hander had to leave the game due to what the team later described as discomfort in his right knee. 

After tossing a strike to Adolis Garcia, Kopech was in visible discomfort on the mound and departed after a visit from the team trainer.

More will be known about Kopech’s status after he receives testing and treatment, yet for now, it looks like the White Sox have perhaps suffered yet another key injury. With several notable players sidelined for long stretches of time, or even the entire season, such as Garrett Crochet, Chicago has been unable to get much momentum going. The team carried a 27-30 record into today’s game against the Rangers.

Just as it seemed the rotation was finally taking shape with the impending return of Lance Lynn, the White Sox now face another possible absence in Kopech. Lynn had been slated for Tuesday’s game against the Tigers, though Chicago’s rotation will have to be reshuffled since Johnny Cueto ended up pitching five innings today. An off-day on Thursday should help to settle things, but for now, the White Sox suddenly face a bit of a crunch for this series in Detroit.

In his first full year as a starting pitcher, Kopech has an outstanding 1.94 ERA over 51 2/3 innings, though his 4.34 SIERA and 4.49 xFIP aren’t as impressed by his performance. The righty has benefited from a .180 BABIP, and his 12% walk rate is only in the 13th percentile of all pitchers. While some regression was probably inevitable, it also remained to be seen how long Kopech would remain in the rotation, as it seemed likely the White Sox would limit his innings to some extent given Kopech’s lack of work in 2019-20 and his usage as a reliever in 2021.