GLENDALE, Ariz. — So far, so good.
Michael Kopech’s transition to the world of the relief pitcher is going about as well as can be expected for the 24-year-old with the electric arm who figures to eventually be a starting pitcher for the White Sox — how soon is the question of the hour — but is easing his way back in the bullpen after a two-year layoff.
Multi-inning outings, as many as three innings, are part of the plan for Kopech this season.
“The biggest challenge is being acclimated to the routine and we’ve done a good job getting him with that,” pitching coach Ethan Katz told the Sun-Times. “Now he’s coming out of the bullpen, understanding how to do workouts, and throwing when you’re asked to pitch more frequently than you would as a starter.”
At the same time, Kopech is building his way up to being a starting pitcher again, leaning on using his secondary pitches more at Katz’ urging. All the while, he is navigating through the reliever’s life of “how is my body responding, how do I still get my workouts and when am I available,” Katz said.
While the Sox’ late-inning relievers are doing mostly one-inning stints in Cactus League games, Kopech is taking on a little more. He finished up an inning for Lucas Giolito against the Giants on Monday and then pitched a full scoreless frame after that. The 1-2-3 dominant innings he breezed through in Cactus League games this season and last were nice and all, but learning to pitch in trouble at a moment’s notice is a new part of the gig he needs to get used to.
“He looks great,” Katz said. “It’s everything I expected. He’s been really, really good. He’s getting changeups over, which is big for him and his future development, and we’re going to keep finding ways to keep having him grow when it comes to his mix of pitches.
“He could go out there and throw nine fastballs in an inning and be successful, but what is best for him and what’s best for the team for now and the future to make sure he’s honing in on his secondary stuff as well.”
That’s for when Kopech becomes a starter, when more than two pitches in lengthier stints are necessary. Or when he goes multiple innings in relief, which won’t be limited to two.
“It depends on how he recovers, but the plan is for him to go more than that,” Katz said. “Him going out there and throwing three innings is definitely very reasonable. We just want to make sure we’re not putting too much on his plate too soon with workload. He hasn’t pitched competitively in a couple years.
“He hasn’t had to pitch through traffic in a couple of years. There is some stuff that he has to work through, but his growth and development can very much still happen out of the pen and get him prepped for more as the season goes on.”
Kopech, who has allowed one run in four appearances and 5 1⁄3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks this spring, says he “feels great.”
“This position’s new, and it’s definitely intriguing to me right now,’ he said after a recent outing.
“As far as stamina goes, that’s kind of what the program I’m on is for, is to get built up and to get used to going on a little bit shorter rest and having a little bit quicker recovery to go again.”
It’s nothing like the starter’s routine, with four days off — aside from a side session and playing catch — between starts.
“Being down in the bullpen, when they call and say you need to get going, you need to get going,” Kopech said.
“It’s kind of, get used to a routine of getting going quick and throwing like I’m hot when I’m stepping on that mound for the first time.”
