CHICAGO – White Sox right-hander Michael Kopech made a start against the Rangers on Sunday, with two batsmen with discomfort in his right knee, completed by Ronaldo Lopez after the fifth pitch of Adolis Garcia’s final strikeout. Kopech will be further evaluated and after an 8-6 defeat in 12 innings stated that pain with some fluid in his knee still exists.
But after hearing the frustrating and angry pop in the first inning, the best news after the disappointing shock was that Kopech was likely to be able to play in Houston next Sunday.
“Once I get to dissolve the fluid, I’ll be in good condition,” Kopech said. “But it hurts now.”
Tony La Rusa, manager of the White Sox, said: “It simply came to our notice then. “Let’s see. I heard this for the first time during the game.”
Kopech got Garcia a 3-1 strike on the pitch but he won after throwing the pitch and went behind the pile. La Rousseau and assistant athletic trainer Josh Flynn examined Kopech, who tried to throw a warm-up pitch but could not and hit the ball on the field as he walked.
This frustration came from not being able to go deep into the game for a team with taxed bullpen and from one of the really highbrow starters in the first 2 1/2 months of the season. It also arose out of fear of more significant injuries.
“A little bit both. Of course, I’ve lost a lot of time since my debut, “said Kopech. “When something like this happens, you start running through all those thoughts again.
“But the more I sat there, the better. It’s frustrating to see a team on a day when we need to eat a few innings. And the harder it is to lose, the more frustrating it is. The desire to compete and not having that opportunity has created a lot of stress. “
AJ Pollock assisted Kopech on the first batting of the game, taking a home run from Marcus Semin with a catch to the left. Corey Caesar came on for the only outing Kopech reported. Johnny Quito, who was scheduled to start in Detroit on Monday and didn’t even stretch on Sunday, put Lopez and Kopech five innings behind injuries.
“I felt twin, pinch or pop or whatever you mean. I felt like I could never get over it again. It feels worse than it used to be, “said Kopech, who has a 1.92 ERA and will join the team in Detroit on Monday. “It simply came to our notice then.
“There is some liquid and we will try to clean it. I was annoyed. I thought it was worse than it used to be, but I’m really grateful for the news. “
