LOS ANGELES — Active rosters expand on Monday, September 1, when the Dodgers have a scheduled off day. When they resume play on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Hyeseong Kim and Michael Kopech will be the two additions, both activated off the injured list.
Kim played nine games over the last two weeks with Triple-A Oklahoma City, including in left field for the third time on Sunday. Kopech pitched in seven games on this rehab assignment in Triple-A, and walked nearly double (nine) the amount he struck out (five).
“Everything changes at this level. You come up here and have the atmosphere of the game, the atmosphere of the clubhouse, the mindset of competition, playing in the direction of a championship,” Kopech said Sunday. “Timing is different in that environment than any other environment. I feel pretty good with it all, I feel healthy. I think a lot of that will show up as it comes.”
Manager Dave Roberts on Saturday chalked up Kopech’s struggles during rehab assignments as not having the same adrenalin or heightened competition level while in the minors. Kopech last pitched for Oklahoma City on Friday, and has been at Dodger Stadium the last two days.
Kopech has yet to allow a run over seven innings in his eight major league appearances. But that he’s missed so much time on the injured list and had two different rehab assignments — first with a right shoulder impingement, and now returning from a torn meniscus — that’s made the year so stressful for the right-hander.
“It feels like it’s been a long season. I’ve had two stints on the 60-day. You never want to go on the IL, but you definitely don’t want to miss this many games,” Kopech said. “I know we all have the same objective in mind — to go and win another championship. To not get to be a part of what it’s looked like so far, at least not as much, is disappointing. I’m eager to get back.”
Roberts said Sunday he’ll likely ease Kopech back into the bullpen mix rather than throw him into the deep end of high-leverage pitching right away.
“I do think there should be a lot better strike-throwing, now that he’s with us,” Roberts said Sunday. “That’s my hope.”
Kopech was a high-leverage arm relied on by Roberts after the right-hander was acquired at the trade deadline. Kopech pitched in 10 of 16 postseason games, with a 3.00 ERA over nine innings with 10 strikeouts and six unintentional walks. Kopech is eager to pitch in those situations again.
“In these moments, you’re either made or broken as an athlete. So when the pressure builds, if we can maintain ourselves under that pressure and perform to our capabilities, I think that’s what makes us great,” Kopech said. “Obviously, my hope, my desire, my wish is to be able to perform the best when we have the most on the line.”
Rehab notes
Tommy Edman, Max Muncy, and Alex Vesia will join Oklahoma City on rehab assignments this coming week in Texas, where the Comets will play Sugar Land. Edman, out since August 4 with a sprained ankle, faced live pitching Friday and Saturday at Dodger Stadium and has been doing drills in center field. Roberts said the plan is for Edman to play a combination of center field and second base once he returns.
An illness pushed Muncy back a few days, but the plan is for him to take batting practice off the Trajekt machine on Monday at Dodger Stadium. Roberts said Sunday that Muncy will not be activated on the road trip.
Vesia is out with a straight right oblique and not eligible to return until next Sunday at the earliest.
