Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Michael Kopech is set to return within the week, according to manager Dave Roberts.
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“The hope is if it goes well that we’ll get him back sometime this week,” Roberts said.
Kopech made his ninth appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City Sunday, and it appears that could be his last outing in the minors. He faced four batters in a scoreless inning where he allowed a walk and struck out one.
The right-hander has a 15.63 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 11 walks across 6.1 innings of works. While Kopech’s stats are not ideal, his velocity looks promising as he touched 101 mph Sunday.
Kopech became a staple of the Dodgers bullpen from the beginning of his tenure with the team. The right-hander and Tommy Edman were acquired in three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.
Kopech made an immediate impact for L.A., producing a 1.13 ERA across 24 appearances last season. In the postseason, Kopech made 10 appearances with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts.
The right-hander revealed he was playing at 60 percent health in October, but pushed through in order to help an overworked Dodgers bullpen.
The Dodgers are desperate for bullpen reinforcements as several key relievers have been sidelined by injury, the latest being Luis Garcia. A few days prior to the announcement of Garcia’s injured list stint, Roberts revealed Evan Phillips would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
The return of Kopech will be refreshing for a pitching staff that has a total 15 pitchers on the IL a quarter through the season.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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