Kopech back with Sox: I need this game a lot more than I realized

He's had plenty of time to think about it, two years and six months to be exact.

That was the last time Michael Kopech was on the mound, and the White Sox's dynamic right-hander is thrilled to finally be back.

"I think I learned that I need this game a lot more than I realized," Kopech said Saturday after Sox pitchers and catchers completed their workout at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.

Joining the White Sox's starting rotation in late August of 2018, Kopech instantly showed why he was such a highly-regarded prospect.

Flashing a fastball that seemingly reached 98-99 mph with little effort, Kopech allowed only 1 run and had 9 strikeouts through his first 11 major-league innings.

In his fourth major-league outing, Kopech didn't look right while giving up 7 runs over 3⅓ innings against the Tigers.

Tests revealed a torn UCL in his right elbow, and the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder sat out the entire 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery.

Kopech was back to throwing 100-mph fastballs last spring, but he decided to opt out of the season when COVID-19 shut down the game on March 12.

"There are multiple reasons," Kopech said of his decision to sit out 2020. "COVID (was) one with having some health issues with my family, but there were a lot of personal reasons as well. I think I've been pretty candid in the past about my mental health being important and prioritizing that so I can be the best version of myself on field. That's a lot of what it came down to, as well."

Getting married to "Riverdale" actress Vanessa Morgan in January of 2020, getting divorced less than six months later and then becoming a father last month has fueled all kinds of speculation about Kopech's mental well-being.

"I think I've learned throughout my career that people are going to say and think and write whatever they want," Kopech said. "They can continue to do so, but it doesn't define who I am and who I am is the best I can be for my teammates, my family and my friends."

Saying he is "relieved" to be back playing baseball, Kopech is now focused on shaking off substantial rust and helping the White Sox win games.

"He's working to be a part of what we're doing," manager Tony La Russa said. "He threw a bullpen a couple of days ago and was just healthy. He's very motivated, is a very intelligent young man. I think he's excited to be back, excited to be healthy.

"We're making it real clear, this is going to be a competitive camp. The guys that pitch and play the best are the ones that get to pitch and play."

When Kopech does pitch for the Sox again - and he is likely going to log some minor-league innings before that happens - it could be out of the bullpen.

"I don't know if I can speak to exactly what it's going to be right now, but we talked about the flexibility of maybe being in a different role than I've kind of anticipated in the past," Kopech said. "So maybe not coming in and being part of the rotation right away, but maybe as a reliever or something along those lines. Not really sure exactly what that entails yet.

"As far as what it means for me, I'm going to pitch the best I can every time I take the mound, so nothing really changes in that regard. I just want to help the team win in some way. If that's in the bullpen or if that's starting, I'm going to do it, either way."

It's been a challenging two-plus years, but Kopech is now approaching his 25th birthday (April 30) and has a different outlook on baseball and life.

"In the past, I've put a lot of unnecessary pressures and anxieties on myself," he said. "I think for one of the first times in my career, I'm comfortable enough with what I'm doing where my only focus is internal. It's within the game itself, it's within competing, it's throwing strikes, it's working on my mechanics, it's doing all the little things right.

"It's not that I didn't focus on those things before, but maybe they were affected by external factors and just trying to maybe worry about the wrong things. I think I'm a little more focused right now than I have been in the past. Cutting out distractions has been a big part of that. I'm looking forward to seeing where that focus leads me in my career."