It turns out Michael Kopech's velocity drop was injury-related after all.
The White Sox announced this afternoon that tests revealed a tear in Kopech's ulnar collateral ligament. Tommy John surgery would be in order after the Sox confirm it with a second opinion. The club tweeted that Kopech is expected to return in spring 2020, and Rick Hahn told reporters Kopech will need to undergo the procedure.
Kopech only topped out at 96 as he struggled through 3⅓ innings in a loss to Detroit, missing his usual heat both before and after the rain delay, and also working a little slower than usual. While the lack of velocity is usually one of the leading indicators of injury -- good thing my post had those caveats -- nobody raised the possibility of more than a bad night in the postgame rounds, and Hahn said Kopech didn't see surgery coming, either.
Kopech will now have to dedicate his renowned workout discipline to a rehab course. Meditation will probably come in handy, too.
