DETROIT — White Sox manager Pedro Grifol opened his pregame session with reporters Saturday reiterating that Michael Kopech “is not a reliever,” even though he will be pitching out of the bullpen for perhaps the rest of the season. Kopech, who made his first relief appearance of the season Saturday against the Tigers, will go to spring training in 2024 as a starter, Grifol said.
Kopech “has all the characteristics of being a high-leverage, top-notch reliever,” Grifol said. “However, he has some characteristics of being a starter. In the world we live in where starters are really hard to find, we’re going to exhaust every opportunity we can to make sure he’s a starter.”
