Dodgers’ Michael Kopech Finally Starts Rehab Assignment — And Struggles Mightily
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City Thursday, an indication the right-hander is set to return soon.
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Nevertheless, Kopech’s 23-pitch outing was less than ideal as he walked all five batters he faced. He threw just three strikes and touched up to 98 mph.
Kopech began the season on the injured list with right forearm inflammation after pitching at what he called 60 percent health through October. He suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery this spring, but the rehab assignment — while not picturesque — signals Kopech should be back in the Dodgers bullpen soon.
The Dodgers acquired Kopech at last year’s trade deadline via a three-team trade, and he quickly emerged as a star reliever in L.A. The right-hander logged a 1.13 ERA across 24 appearances.
In the postseason, Kopech made 10 appearances with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts.
The right-hander is working on adding a third pitch to his arsenal, which would make the star reliever that much better.
“I’m working on potentially mixing in a third pitch,” Kopech said. “What that will be and what that looks like, we don’t know. I was happy with a fastball/cutter combination last year, but if there is something else I can bring to the mound, shortening at-bats can help me too. I had some some strikeouts at the end of the year last year, but I racked up a lot of long innings too and (potential) quick innings weren’t all that quick.”
Kopech is on the 60-day IL, so he isn’t eligible to be activated until May 17 at the earliest. However, he appears to be a few weeks away as he’s likely to get six or seven rehab outings before returning.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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