Chicago White Sox: Michael Kopech getting called up soon?
In a surprising move, the Charlotte Knights seemingly scratched top prospect Michael Kopech from his scheduled start on Thursday without announcing a reason. Could Kopech be joining the Chicago White Sox soon?
The first month and a half of the 2018 season has been filled with speculation around Chicago White Sox top pitching prospect Michael Kopech.
That speculation could be coming to an end in the very near future, as a recent move by the Triple-A Charlotte Knights could point towards a potential call-up.
While nothing is official, a noteworthy change to the Knights’ pitching order has White Sox fans’ antennae on high alert.
And just in time for this week’s Crosstown Series with the Chicago Cubs? Could something be brewing?
Take it at face value (doubt that happens), but T.J. House is scheduled to start this Thursday for Charlotte, in the spot originally occupied by Michael Kopech. #WhiteSox
— Patrick K. Flowers (@PatrickKFlowers) May 8, 2018
There’s a lot to unpack here.
First of all, this all could be nothing. The Knights could be simply just adjusting their rotation for their own weekend series.
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Second, Kopech could be dealing with an unknown injury. The Knights haven’t given any reason for the change, and the fact that no start has been announced for Friday could support a potential injury. Perhaps the team is trying to give a little extra rest.
The Knights could also just be skipping Kopech’s start after the righty failed to make it through four innings in his previous start. All of the above is possible, but so is a call-up.
That said, there’s not a ton of reasoning that supports the White Sox calling up Kopech. The White Sox don’t have any recent injuries in the rotation that would free up a spot for Kopech, and the White Sox likely wouldn’t adjust their rotation in order to fit Kopech in unless it’s really needed.
And while Kopech certainly would be ready for the call, the biggest thing in the way of a call-up is Major League Baseball’s service time rules.
It'd be odd timing to promote Kopech. He finally had a bad start, which gives the Sox ammo to game service time.
— Patrick Nolan (@SoxMach_pnoles) May 8, 2018
Also, a Fri. call-up would be 142 days of service time in '18, making him a Super Two under 8 of the last 9 cutoffs. Waiting 3 weeks leaves little chance of Super Two
As Sox Machine’s Patrick Nolan notes, it wouldn’t make sense for the White Sox to promote Kopech this early in the season. The White Sox aren’t really playing for anything just yet, so they would be better served to wait another three weeks before promoting Kopech for good.
However, there’s no doubt that Kopech is ready. The 10th-ranked prospect in all of baseball has a 3.00 ERA through six starts in Charlotte this year. The 22-year-old has struck out 38 batters in just 30 innings.
Next: Chicago White Sox vs Chicago Cubs series preview
All speculation aside, Michael Kopech will make a massive impact on the White Sox regardless of when he arrives. Kopech figures to be the ace of the White Sox for years to come, so his call-up won’t make much of a difference in regards to his future production.