CLEVELAND — Right-hander Michael Kopech had Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow Tuesday, the White Sox said Wednesday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
Kopech will miss all of next season but is expected to make a full recovery in time for spring training in 2020.
His replacement in the Sox’ rotation, right-hander Dylan Covey, pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday — his best outing of the season, he said — but watched what would have been his sixth victory go up in flames when Jason Kipnis belted a walk-off grand slam against rookie right-hander Ian Hamilton with one out in the ninth inning to give the Indians a 4-1 victory.
‘‘Tough loss right there,’’ manager Rick Renteria said after the Sox fell to 0-8 this season at Progressive Field.
Rookie Daniel Palka hit his team-leading 26th home run — his fourth round-tripper in his last three games — against Indians starter Carlos Carrasco in the sixth. The 1-0 lead held up until the ninth, when Kipnis got his 1,000th career hit in grand style.
Hamilton hit Yan Gomes with a slider on his first pitch to load the bases before Kipnis hit a 3-2 changeup into the right-field seats.
‘‘Hung a changeup middle in, wherever it was,’’ Hamilton said. ‘‘He saw it out of my hand, and he hit it.’’
Covey got 13 ground-ball outs and retired the last 13 batters he faced.
‘‘That’s the best my stuff has been all year,’’ Covey said. ‘‘Just kept everything down.’’
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Kopech, meanwhile, faces a long road to recovery.
‘‘It went well,’’ Renteria said of the surgery. ‘‘He understands what he’s going to have to do to get back to where he wants to be. He understands intellectually what it’s going to require of him. And I’m sure, as driven as he is, he’ll understand the heart it’s going to take to work through this.’’
Sox will be cautious with Abreu
Renteria said slugger Jose Abreu was released from the hospital and was doing well at the team hotel. Abreu was admitted to the hospital Tuesday with an infection in his right thigh.
‘‘It will be a bit before he gets back on the field for us,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘But he’s doing well. He’s been on a heavy dose of antibiotics. He’s going to stay on antibiotics for the next while, allow that to heal up, and we’ll take it slow and see where he’s at through the [rest] of the season. We’re not going to be in a rush to get him back on the field.’’
The Sox host the Cubs for three games starting Friday.
‘‘I’m not going to put him under any pressure to return for the weekend,’’ Renteria said. ‘‘It would be foolish. You get an infection in your tissue, you have to be careful. You have to be mindful . . . that we don’t put him in any jeopardy.’’
The infection stemmed from a hair follicle on his thigh.
This and that
Catcher Welington Castillo, who hyperextended his left elbow on a swing last weekend in Baltimore, was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Kevan Smith. Castillo irritated the injury in the batting cage, Renteria said.
• Outfielder Nicky Delmonico (neck) is still ‘‘a little stiff, but he’s coming around,’’ Renteria said.
