In 2014, the Boston Red Sox selected Michael Kopech in the MLB draft, per MLB.com. Kopech was later traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2016, where he made his debut as a pitcher in August 2018, but, according to NBC Sports, he had to go undergo Tommy John surgery later that year so he could continue his baseball career. 

Luckily, Kopech made a full recovery, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, baseball — among other sports — was suspended. Despite not being able to play, Kopech believes the surgery was "a blessing" for him. "It gave me an opportunity to step back and appreciate things in life that I probably didn't give enough attention to because I was always baseball first and everything else second," he said on the White Sox Talk Podcast in January 2020.

Kopech's wife, Vanessa Morgan, was by his side through the ordeal, which certainly helped. "I think the timing couldn't have been more perfect for the two of us," he explained. "That pivotal moment in my life — an entire year off."

He continued, "She heard all of my tears, she warranted all of my complaints ... she was a great sounding board for me. There are so many negatives that go along with a recovery like that because it's not a steady incline — it's a roller coaster. And each downfall I had, I had someone there that was able to pick me up and really show me what it was like to be appreciated."

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