DETROIT — Michael Kopech still wants to be a starter and the Sox’ plan for him in 2024 is to have him in the starting rotation.
“He’s a starter,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
For the remainder of this season, however, Kopech will likely pitch out of the bullpen.
“Kind of giving me an opportunity to work on some things mentally and physically,” Kopech said.
The struggling right-hander’s results have been downright awful, and with little to gain by running him out every five days to fight a losing battle with his pitching demons.
Perhaps pitching out of the pen, where he worked with success in 2021, will have some benefit. That’s the hope for Grifol, who on Friday said Jose Urena would be called up from Triple-A Charlotte to fill Kopech’s turn in the rotation against the Tigers Saturday.
“Talked to him about it and we’re going to back off a little bit and throw him out of there,” Grifol said. “That does not mean that he’s a bullpen guy. It does not mean we’re not going to start him in the future. ... We’re going to back him off a little bit and try to get some ‘wins’ here and there as far as him going out there an inning at a time or two innings at a time, and start building him up.”
Acquired along with Yoan Moncada in the Chris Sale trade with the Red Sox in 2016 in a deal that kicked off a rebuild that, after gaining some momentum, flopped in the last two seasons, Kopech was a highly ranked prospect once viewed as a potential top of the rotation starter. In 2020, he opted out of the season for personal reasons, in 2021 he posted a 3.50 ERA making 40 relief appearances and four starts and this season he leads the major leagues with 89 walks and owns a 5.08 ERA.
He would seem to be among the leaders in bad body language as well, often wearing his pitching problems on his sleeves.
His demise is a big reason why the 2024 rotation looms as a serious question mark. Dylan Cease owns a 4.98 ERA, Mike Clevinger has a mutual option and Touki Toussaint and Jesse Scholtens are trying to show they deserve another look.
Kopech could profile as a late inning reliever with his good stuff but throwing strikes is an obvious necessity. That has been an obvious problem.
“I’ve gone down there before,” he said of the bullpen. “I know that it’s a little different preparing to come into that game than it is as a starter. But you don’t have a whole lot of time to think or overthink. Do tweaks and all that.
“It’s more get out there and get after it type of thing. We think that will serve me well. It’s an opportunity I’m trying my best to embrace.”
Grifol said Kopech has battled mechanical issues of late. When he’ll be used and how many innings he’ll go remains to be seen. If he throws a good inning, he might get a second.
“Right now, all I want him to do is finish the season healthy and in the right frame of mind, mechanically sound and just start building for 2024,” Grifol said.
In all probability, to be a starter.
“I would like to start,” Kopech said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to do that. But at the end of the day, I’m a Major League baseball player and I’m a Major League pitcher and whatever innings or inning I’m throwing, doesn’t change that fact. I’m extremely grateful to be in the position I’m in.”
