Michael Kopech Struggled Mightily in Triple-A: Should Dodgers Be Worried?

Dodgers relief pitcher Michael Kopech throws during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on June 14. | Ryan Sun-Imagn Images

The Dodgers' bullpen got a long-awaited reinforcement Monday, when Michael Kopech was activated from the 15-day injured list.

Kopech, 29, had been on the IL since June 28 with inflammation in his right knee. The hard-throwing reliever had only been active for three weeks prior, after returning from right shoulder impingement.

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During Kopech's brief return, he gave the Dodgers seven scoreless innings, with only three hits and four walks allowed compared to eight strikeouts.

But those small-sample stats in the majors ignore a startling degree of struggle while Kopech was pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City. In 14.2 rehab innings this season, he's allowed 14 hits, 20 walks, and 18 runs (all earned) in 11.2 innings.

Much of the statistical damage against Kopech came in a May 8 rehab game in which he allowed five runs and walked five batters without recording an out. He had allowed eight runs in his last 20 Triple-A games dating to May 23.

Because of his "scattershot" command, The Athletic reported the Dodgers plan to work Kopech in slowly when he’s activated this week.

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“Everything changes at this level,” Kopech told Fabian Ardaya. “You come up here and you get an atmosphere of the game, you get an atmosphere of the clubhouse, the mindset of competition of playing in the direction of a championship and things like that. Timing is different in that environment than it is in any other environment. So I feel pretty good with it all. I feel healthy, and so I think a lot of that will show up as it comes.”

If the big-league atmosphere is enough to hone Kopech's command, he certainly won't be the first pitcher to benefit from that extra burst of adrenaline.

Fortunately, the schedule is providing a good week to work Kopech in slowly. The Dodgers' series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles — two last-place teams in their respective divisions — should offer plenty of low-leverage situations for Kopech and the rest of the bullpen.

Unfortunately, the Dodgers are far from certain they will see the same Kopech who was so dominant after arriving in a July 2024 trade with the Chicago White Sox.

In 24 appearances to end the regular season, Kopech went 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA. He was virtually unhittable, allowing only nine hits across 24 innings, while walking 10 and striking out 29.

In the 2024 postseason, Kopech limited opposing hitters to a .156 batting average while allowing three runs in 10 appearances.

Although his minor league rehab numbers invite cause for concern, the Dodgers will be wise to give him plenty of looks against the Pirates' and Orioles' lineups as he looks to regain his major-league mojo.

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