Michael Kopech struggled in his start while dealing with a respiratory issue

The White Sox will need to rely on their five guys in the starting rotation this year. Michael Kopech is one of those guys who will be relied upon heavily as they look to bounce back as a unit.

Michael Kopech will play a vital role in how successful the White Sox ends up being in 2023. If he provides a lot of innings pitched along with maintaining velocity/health, 2023 should be a massive break-out year for the Texas native.

The Chicago White Sox went head-to-head with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. Kopech's outing wasn't what many wanted to see from him in a start like this.

The Chicago White Sox needs more from Michael Kopech in 2023.

While he got through two scoreless frames due to his slider, his command and his velocity weren't where they he wanted it to be and that came back to bite him the rest of the outing.

Kopech finished with a stat line of 3 innings pitched, five earned runs, three strikeouts, and a dreadful four walks.

After the outing, the press discovered that Kopech had been dealing with a sinus infection which could be a significant reason why he performed the way he does today. Still, you'd like to see him fight through stuff like that.

Whether the sinus infection was a reason why he underperformed or not, it was a start that White Sox fans don't want to see again in the near future. Kopech is a lot to handle as a batter when he's at his best and the White Sox will need Kopech's best for the majority of the 2023 major league season.

Expect Michael Kopech's next start to be his first of the 2023 regular season, either on the road against the Houston Astros or at the first home series with the San Fransico Giants who hit him hard today.