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OAKLAND, Calif. — Sunday was Michael Kopech’s turn in the Chicago White Sox rotation.
But the team indicated a few days earlier the possibility of skipping his start in Oakland. And before Sunday’s series finale against the Athletics, the Sox placed the right-hander on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
The move is retroactive to Thursday.
“We just wanted to skip him one more time to make sure he’s ready to go in the second half,” manager Pedro Grifol said before the game at Oakland Coliseum. “That’s basically it.”
Touki Toussaint started for the Sox on Sunday.
Grifol anticipates having Kopech back in the rotation “right after” the July 10-13 All-Star break.
Kopech is 3-7 in 16 starts with a 4.08 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 86 innings. He went four innings in each of his last two starts, throwing 86 pitches on June 21 against the Texas Rangers and 102 on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
“He has shown us an unbelievable ability to compete without his best stuff,” Grifol said. “He’s shown us dominance with his best stuff. Grit, going out there not feeling great, giving us five, six innings. He did it one time (May 6) in Cincinnati when he wasn’t feeling great but gave us six.
“I’ve always thought prior to coming in here this guy could be one of the best pitchers in the game. I still believe that. He’s just got to navigate through a major-league season and he’s learning how to do that. We gave him a seven-day break (earlier this season) and he came back and had three or four great games.
“Now we’re going to give him another break, give him that second wind, kind of regroup. And he’ll take the ball in the second half and help us stay in this thing or get back to where we feel we can be.”
In the corresponding move, the Sox selected the contract of reliever Bryan Shaw from Triple-A Charlotte.
Shaw, 35, is 2-0 with a 4.03 ERA, 24 strikeouts and four saves in 21 games for Charlotte after signing with the Sox as a minor-league free agent on April 28.
He has a 3.92 ERA, 637 strikeouts, 15 saves and 181 holds in 753 games (two starts) during 12 major-league seasons with Arizona (2011-12), Cleveland (2013-17, ‘21-22), Colorado (2018-19) and Seattle (2020).
“(He provides) experience, multiple (innings), back-to-back (games), three days in a row,” Grifol said. “He likes to pitch. He’s a good addition to our staff.”
The Sox also transferred infielder Romy Gonzalez to the 60-day injured list. He went on the IL on June 18 with right shoulder inflammation.
“He’s got to take care of that shoulder,” Grifol said.
Reliever Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Birmingham on Sunday.
