January report in USA Today said Kopech was dealing with elbow inflammation. Dave Roberts on Wednesday in Arizona: “There’s a handful of guys that are just a little bit behind.”
Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech is behind schedule in camp at spring training, manager Dave Roberts told reporters at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday.
Dave Roberts also said both Michael Kopech and Evan Phillips are behind schedule in their ramp-up. He’s not sure yet if they will start season on IL
Kopech dealt with arm inflammation this winter, while Phillips had a shoulder issue (as @billplunkettocr noted yesterday)
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) February 12, 2025
Evan Phillips, who suffered a tear in his rotator cuff in October, as reported by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register on Tuesday, is also behind schedule in camp. Roberts stopped short of saying Phillips or Kopech might start the season on the injured list.
“There’s a handful of guys that are just a little bit behind,” Roberts told reporters Wednesday at Camelback Ranch. “We have a lot of depth. But their health and how we build them up methodically is very important.”
Kopech was a key addition for the Dodgers at the trade deadline last year, and pitched in 10 of the team’s 16 postseason games in October. In all with Los Angeles, the right-hander had a 1.64 ERA and 30.7-percent strikeout rate in 33 innings, including six saves down the stretch during the regular season.
After a report by Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in January that Kopech was experiencing elbow inflammation and might miss time to start the season., Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes at the time downplayed Kopech’s readiness.
“He’s throwing and playing catch. We’re going to see how he progresses,” Gomes said after Roki Sasaki’s introductory press conference on January 22. “I don’t think there’s anything of concern at this point.”
Asked in January if Kopech pitched through an injury in October, Gomes said, “No more than anybody else that was grinding through things.”
Whenever Kopech and/or Phillips might be available to pitch, their injuries add more perspective to the Dodgers’ busy winter on the bullpen front, signing veteran free agents Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, and bringing back Blake Treinen. All three pitchers have extensive closing experience.