Micheal Kopech took the ball in Glendale for the first time in over two years on Tuesday afternoon. His first pitch was a 98 mph fastball that painted the corner for a strike en route to a 1-2-3 inning. His appearance can be summed up in three words. Kopech is back!

His return is much later than people expected. It also comes in a different role than people anticipated. Regardless of the circumstances, watching him pitch again is a sight for sore eyes. Kopech's journey to this point has been one filled with obstacles. He has had to overcome a drug suspension, immaturity issues and injuries. He has battled mental heath stigmas and dealt with his personal life being thrust into the spotlight.  Michael Kopech has been under a microscope ever since he was drafted. He has had to deal with the pressures of being a top prospect in baseball while simultaneously juggling the attention that comes from dating a reality TV star then marrying a celebrity actor. After taking a hiatus from baseball he realized that he needs the game a lot. His story is far from over but one thing remains clear. Micheal Kopech needs baseball and baseball needs him.

Long Road To The Show

Michael Kopech was drafted out of high school in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were getting a steal with the 33rd overall selection. During Kopech's final season at Mount Pleasant High School he had an 0.44 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched. The following season he pitched in the Class A South Atlantic League and appeared in the SAL All-Star game. Unfortunately his immaturity caused some problems early in his career. On July 16th, 2015 he received a 50 game suspension after testing positive for Oxiofrine, which is banned by Minor League and Major League baseball. He returned to spring training in 2016 but got into an physical altercation with his roommate and broke his right hand punching him. Despite the missteps Kopech's talent still shined through. He was eventually promoted to the Salem Red Sox of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League where he only allowed three runs in his first five starts. Later he won Carolina League Player of the Month for August and finished the season with a 2.08 ERA. Kopech put the power of his right arm on display when his fastball was clocked at 105 mph in a game against the Wilmington Blue Rocks on July 13th 2016.

Traded To The White Sox

During the offseason the White Sox sent shockwaves throughout the MLB when they traded  their ace Chris Sale to the Red Sox. The package they got in return included Micheal Kopech. Despite the change of scenery he continued to impress blowing through the White Sox minor league system. In 2017 he was named the starter of the Souther League All Star Game. He was later named to the U.S team of the All-Star Futures Game. His dominance was on full display in front of a national audience when he struck out fellow prospect and trade partner Yoan Moncada.

He was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte in August. The following season he was promoted to the big leagues. On August 21st he was set to make his major league debut. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric as a crowd of White Sox fans congregated across the bullpen to watch him warmup. He did not disappoint on the mound. In two innings he racked up four strikeouts. Unfortunately mother nature literally rained on his parade and he was only allowed to make it through two innings. He was able to make a few more starts but just as he was getting acclimated to the big leagues Tommy John surgery came creeping up on him. It was announced on September 7th that he would miss the rest of the 2018 season as well as the entire 2019 regular season.

Kopech's Battle With Mental Health

With no baseball Kopech was forced to focus on keeping himself busy during rehab. On the surface he seemed fine. He announced his engagement to Riverdale star actress Vanessa Morgan and six months later they were married. Beneath the surface there was turmoil. In October Kopech shared an emotional message announcing he was deactivating all of his social media profiles.

"I always felt like something was missing. I was always looking ahead but at the same time, my choices from past mistakes still haunted me, so followed anxieties so followed depression. I needed answers. I needed help. So I searched and I found. There  is no moment like this one, or the next one, and there will never be again. The presence of creation in stillness is a beauty that will never die. In stillness lies our awareness of what's to come. There is no peace like it. "

This was a big deal for Kopech who had been a fan favorite on social media for his shirtless workout photos and reality television content. However social media had also caused him some problems. After his first Major League start he acknowledged he had to delete some offensive tweets he made back in 2013. Some of the tweets were racist and homophobic. To Kopech's credit he told the Chicago Sun Times that they were immature and inappropriate but they do not represent who he is now. The cleansing of social media from his life was an attempt to improve his mental health. Kopech has never been shy about his battles with mental health. He made an appearance with Vanessa Morgan on the White Sox Talk Podcast and bravely spoke about it. He was very open and honest, saying at one point during the interview:

I think the more real we can be with each other, the more those mental health issues, those dark thoughts, they don't seem so lonely. You know, other people have them, they're real"

He finished this statement with tears in his eyes. Vanessa was by his side replying "He's just so strong. I've been with him through this whole thing. Mental health is a very serious thing and I'm so proud of him." Kopech has been outspoken about his mental health for awhile. He spoke in an article in MLB.com about how his injury in 2018 only amplified his anxiety and depression.

Relationship Makes Headlines

The White Sox were poised to contend in 2020 and Kopech was set to return from injury. He looked sharp in his first spring training appearance. Then the pandemic hit and ground baseball to a halt. After it was announced that play would resume, Kopech shocked everyone by opting out of the 2020 season. Plenty of players opted out of the 2020 season but what raised some red flags was pitching coach Don Coopers comments on him. In an interview with the Chicago Sun Times Copper  said he was "concerned that he's not OK". He added "I don't know what is going on with Micheal...I hope he gets where he needs to be, where he is feeling good and wants to come back because we will welcome him with open arms." Rumors ran rampant about what was wrong. Two weeks later Vennessa Morgan announced on social media that she was pregnant with a baby boy. However Micheal was not included in the photo adding more fuel to the fire. Three days after that announcement and less than six months after the couple was married the Chicago Tribune reported that Kopech filed for divorce in his home state of Texas on June 19th. This made waves across social media as Riverdale fans dragged Kopech's name through the mud. Having a public breakup is nothing new for Kopech. Before even making the major leagues Michael Kopech was a reality TV star. He appeared on Don't Be Tardy in 2018 with his girlfriend at the time, Brielle Bierman. She was planning on moving to Chicago with him until he broke off the relationship. Brielle said that she had her whole life with Michael planned. A friend noted at the time that there was "no warning sign" for the split. Kopech kept a low profile since opting out of the 2020 season. However it was reported that he was at Venessa's bedside when she gave birth to his son. Morgan announced the news on Twitter and this time she included Kopech in the announcement.

Plan for Kopech In 2021

During the last session of Sox Fest 2019, White Sox Director of Player Development Chris Getz was fielding questions from a small gathering of fans who had stuck around for the final hours of the fan convention. An older gentleman who had been scribbling notes in the back came forward to the microphone and asked if they had considered moving Michael Kopech to the bullpen after he recovered from his injury. His reason being how Kopech was coming off of Tommy John surgery and he has the velocity that would make him an elite back of the bullpen arm. Getz just laughed the question off and reassured fans that the plan for Kopech was to make him a major league starting pitcher. The thought of moving Kopech to the bullpen was laughable. Kopech was the White Sox prized pitching prospect who the White Sox had traded their best pitcher in a decade for. He could break 100 mph with ease and had already gotten his feet wet in the major leagues. It was assumed that Tommy John surgery would just be a minor setback and he would be back on the mound in no time. Flash forward two years and you can hear White Sox General manager Rick Hahn talk about "creative" ways to use Michael Kopech during the upcoming season. If you read between the lines you can assume Kopech has punched a ticket to begin the season in the bullpen. After not pitching for the previous two seasons they want to build up his arm before letting him take the ball every fifth day. They also need to monitor his innings. They could do this in Triple-A Charlotte but given Kopech's abilities he might be able benefit the White Sox more by pitching out of the bullpen to start the season. However that does not close the door on Kopech taking the ball to start more than a couple  games this season. Just because he does not break camp as the number five starter does not mean he can't find himself locked in that role in September. Given his competition is Reynaldo Lopez and Carlos Rodon there is a good chance Kopech forces his way into the rotation if he preforms well. Either way the White Sox want to make sure he continues to progress and is strong in whatever role he is given when September and October role around. There is some uncertainty as to what his role will be moving forward. One thing that is certain. Michael Kopech's journey is far from over.