Just pitching at all is amazing enough. That Patrick Copen is doing it at a high level, on the same mound where he had suffered such a devastating, life-changing moment less than a year before … well, that’s movie script stuff.
On August 20, 2024, Copen made his ninth start of the summer for the Great Lake Loons, the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a Midwest League matchup against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dow Diamond in Midland, MI. With nobody out and a runner at first in the third inning, Copen threw a pitch that was laced up the middle at over 100 mph, and the ball struck Copen in the cheek/orbital bone area.
Copen never lost consciousness, but he was put in a neck brace and stretchered off the field. He suffered several facial fractures and underwent emergency surgery that night, leaving him with no vision in his right eye.
“Obviously, doctors told me what I went through was pretty traumatic,” Copen said. “Turns out the retina was detached as well as the cataract in my eye. So the plan of action was to fix the retina detachment.
“They had to wait for the swelling in my eye to go down before they would operate. When it did, the doctor said the detachment was too severe and they could not operate. My girlfriend and I came home for three days then went to UCLA for a second opinion. They said the same thing, that I wouldn’t have surgery because the detachment was just kind of too far gone.”
Patrick Copen Returns to Mound After Serious Injury From Line Drive to Face
But Copen could still see what he wanted to do with his life. Just two weeks after the injury, Copen was back at Dow Diamond, standing on the mound and reaffirming his love for the sport.
“I just stood there to get a visual and see how it looked – if anything had changed,” the 23-year-old said. “I thought it would feel different, but at the same moment I knew I would keep playing baseball. That couldn’t be stopped.”
Neither could Copen, although he had no illusions of the path that was ahead of him.
“It’s going to be hard,” Copen said. “There are definitely people who say it may be improbable, but it is not impossible by any means.”
In fact, so far in 2025, Copen is proving that anything is possible.
Patrick Copen Has Battled Back to Post Impressive Numbers at High-A Great Lakes
Pitching again for Great Lakes, Copen has made eight starts, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.29 ERA. In 39.1 innings, he has allowed 17 hits and 25 with 63 strikeouts.
“As far as pitching, it was like riding a bike – I never felt like that part of my game went away,” Copen said.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, still could bring the heat, with a fastball in the high 90s, along with a cutter and a slider that can give batters fits. In three May starts covering 19.1 innings, Copen, the Dodgers’ No. 29 prospect, has given up just three runs on six hits and four walks with 30 strikeouts, and he earned a spot on Baseball America’s most recent Hot Sheet.
“I’m the most blessed about everything — everything is a gift right now,” Copen said. “I can’t be more happy with the spot I’m in. I’m going to field every day trying to get as good as possible every single day.”
Loss of Eye Fails to Alter Focus, Direction of Top Dodgers Prospect