The Los Angeles Dodgers are close to getting some bullpen reinforcements amid 14 different pitchers currently being shelved on the injured list.

Michael Kopech was dominant from the moment he first put on a Dodgers uniform last season to the last inning he threw in October. After making his way to Los Angeles via a trade with the Chicago White Sox (that also brought Tommy Edman to the Dodgers via the St. Louis Cardinals), Kopech threw a 1.13 ERA across 24 appearances in Dodger Blue.

He has yet to play in the majors this season due to right forearm inflammation after not being fully healthy during the Dodgers’ World Series run, but he has made five rehab appearances in Triple-A this season.

In his most recent rehab start, Kopech showed just how close he is to getting back onto the hill for L.A., as the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett reported that his fastball was averaging 99.9 mph and even touched 101.7 during the outing.

Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the reliever’s upward trend.

“I think he’s progressing, but I think there’s still a couple, two or three more outings before we see him up here,” Roberts said.

So far in Triple-A, Kopech has allowed 10 earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched. While his velocity is surely ramping towards where it needs to be, additional appearances in OKC can better prepare Kopech for major league hitters once again.

After debuting for the Chicago White Sox in 2018, it would be quite some time until Kopech would make his way to an MLB mound again due to recovering from Tommy John surgery for all of 2019, and opting out of the 2020 season.

It wasn’t until the end of the 2023 season that the White Sox started to experiment with Kopech coming out of the bullpen, something that he hadn’t done since the 2021 season. The 2024 campaign proved to be the first of his career that he wouldn’t record a single start, but after what he has shown with the Dodgers, it’s safe to say that this role suits him.