Michael Kopech likely won’t pitch in another big league game until the 2020 season.
It was the bad news that hit the White Sox like a truck Friday, immediately bringing into question how a year plus out of action as he recovers from Tommy John surgery will affect the development of the organization’s top-ranked pitching prospect and the team’s rebuilding effort as a whole.
But while it’s easy to focus on the long term with this future-facing franchise, there’s a more immediate topic to consider: Who’s going to fill Kopech’s spot in the White Sox starting rotation next season?