Dodgers Injury Updates: Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates returns, rotation timelines

Michael Kopech has been on a rehab assignment for an eyebrow-raising amount of time. He started the season on the IL and was moved to the 60-day on May 1 before being sent to Triple-A to start his rehab stint a week later. His first start was desperately bad. He gave up two runs on bases-loaded walks with zero outs before being pulled, and his replacement ended up allowing the rest of Kopech's runners to score on another walk and a two-run single.

He's looked shaky ever since, and currently has a 15.63 ERA in 6 1/3 innings. The Dodgers desperately need high-leverage relievers back in the bullpen, but Kopech looks like he can barely handle minor leaguers right now.

However, Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic reported that there's a chance both Kopech and Kirby Yates, who's been on the 15-day IL with a hamstring strain since May 18, could be activated this weekend. Both threw live bullpens at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

Yates looks like he'll be able to avoid a rehab assignment altogether, but Ardaya noted specifically that "there’s still stuff the pitching coaches would like to work on with Kopech," which makes sense given his numbers in Triple-A. He hasn't run into as much trouble with walks as he did in his first appearance, but he still walked at least one batter in over 2/3 of his total innings and has given up two homers.

Dodgers Injury Updates: Intriguing Michael Kopech notes, Kirby Yates rehab assignment, bad news for starters

Sonja Chen of MLB.com confirmed what Dodgers fans already figured would be the case — that it's highly unlikely we see Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, or Roki Sasaki back on the mound until after the All-Star break. Snell and Glasnow are both on the 60-day IL and were never going to be able to return before then, and Sasaki is still on the 15-day, but could easily be moved if the Dodgers face a roster crunch.

Snell is expected to throw a bullpen session while the Dodgers are in San Diego next week, and Glasnow resumed his throwing progression despite Dave Roberts jumping the gun and providing a worrisome update a few days prior.

Sasaki started playing catch at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, the very first step in what's going to be a long progression back from a shoulder impingement. So things are generally on the up and up for all of them right now, but you never really know with Dodgers pitchers.