White Sox prospect Michael Kopech throws for 1st time since Tommy John surgery

Michael Kopech on Tuesday threw for the first time since he had Tommy John surgery last fall.

Kopech, who is expected to miss the 2019 season while he rehabs his pitching elbow, participated in a mini-throwing session at the White Sox spring training facility in Glendale, Ariz.

“Today’s like that milestone — that first little hurdle to jump before everything kind of starts to take off,” Kopech said in a video shared by the White Sox. “Ultimately a year from now, I know that I’m going to be better because of all of these minor tweaks, and these tweaks are going to be what makes me the type of pitcher I want to become in the future, which is top of the rotation caliber, and pitcher that helps us win a World Series.”

Kopech took the positive route at SoxFest last month when he faced the media for the first time since his injury was announced in September. Kopech said that although it’ll be “God awful” not to play this season, it’s a “blessing” in disguise.

Kopech made his highly anticipated major-league debut in August. In his four starts, the Sox top pitching prospect looked strong. He allowed only one earned run in 11 innings before he was sidelined.

Kopech believes he will be better and stronger than before when he returns in 2020.

“I’m a little too stubborn [to give up],” he said at SoxFest. “So even if my arm wasn’t up for it, my mind was, so I was going to come back one way or another.”