Kopech dazzles in return to White Sox

Back on the mound in a real game Friday night for the first time since Sept. 5, 2018, Michael Kopech wasn't quite sure what to think.

"Eerily familiar," he said.

And extremely productive.

"I was a lot calmer than I expected to be," Kopech said after coming out of the bullpen and throwing some serious heat in the White Sox's 12-8 win over the Angels. "I just really enjoyed being back out there and kind of being in the competitor's mode again. Not that I didn't get to experience that in spring training, but this is just different. It was nice being back out there and getting back in that element."

While the Sox expect Kopech to be back in the starting rotation at some point down the road, the 24-year-old righty is easing back in as a reliever after missing the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and opting out last year.

With the White Sox clinging to a 7-6 lead over Los Angeles Friday, Kopech entered the game in the sixth and had 3 strikeouts over 2-plus scoreless innings. He came back out for the eighth and was pulled after walking Mike Trout.

Throwing 33 pitches, Kopech was clocked at 98-99 mph a dozen times.

"A lot of cool to match the composure, great mound presence to match his outstanding stuff," manager Tony La Russa said. "Very impressive."

After such a long layoff, Kopech is just thrilled to be back pitching.

"I think I kind of have been worried about the pressure before (Friday)," he said. "Not worried about in the sense I wouldn't been able to handle it, but it's been a long time since I've been in a pressure situation. I was trying to hold on to a 1-run lead and it made me go out there and compete with every pitch, which is what the game plan should be anyway. It got me back into the game the way I needed to be."