White Sox Promote Lucas Giolito To Majors, Michael Kopech To Triple-A
(CBS) The White Sox have promoted two of their prized pitching prospects, sending right-hander Lucas Giolito to the major leagues and right-hander Michael Kopech to Triple-A Charlotte.
Giolito will make his White Sox debut on Monday in a doubleheader against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. His big league debut came last season with the Nationals. Kopech will make his debut with the Charlotte Knights on Monday.
Giolito is 6-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 24 starts this season in Triple-A Charlotte but has rebounded with a 3-1 record and 1.71 ERA his last five starts. He was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in six appearances and four starts last season with the Nationals. Kopech is 8-7 with a 2.87 ERA in 22 starts this year with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He has a 1.15 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 119 1/3 innings.
Giolito came to the White Sox from Washington along with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez and right-hander Dane Dunning in a trade for outfielder Adam Eaton. Kopech arrived from Boston along with second baseman Yoan Moncada and two other prospects in a move for Chris Sale.
The promotion of Kopech comes as he works through a dazzling stretch in Double-A, posting an 0.66 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 54 strikeouts over his last 41 innings. Birmingham pitching coach Jose Bautista recently spoke of Kopech's progress during an appearance on 670 The Score's Hit & Run.
"You can see it the last four games," said Bautista, who had a nine-year MLB career and played for the Cubs in 1993 and 1994. "I think he's only given up four walks. Right now, he's just locked in. We're just working with him, toe to toe, to the front side, go downhill and plant. His fastball is sitting 94 to 99, 100. He maintains himself at 97 pretty much, down in the zone. It's unbelievable, the progress he has made in the last few months.
"I love the way he's working. I love the way he's going to his stuff. It's great to work with him because he takes the instructions really well, why we're working on it. He'd doing a fantastic job right now."
