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Tigers new pitcher Alex Cobb suffers right hip injury, won't be ready for Opening Day
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- Tigers new pitcher Alex Cobb suffers right hip injury, won't be ready for Opening Day
LAKELAND, Fla. — Right-hander Alex Cobb , whom the Detroit Tigers signed a one-year, $15 million contract this offseason, won't be ready for Opening Day in the 2025 season after suffering a right hip injury before spring training.
The 37-year-old will be sidelined for about a month.
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Cobb received a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection last Friday to treat right hip inflammation, which occurred during his most recent bullpen in the first week of February. He was building up his throwing volume when he injured his right hip.
"Obviously, it opens up more competition in the rotation," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday, the first day of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training. "He's been really good when he's been on the mound. I'm glad he reported it when he did and gave us a head start on getting him better."
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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (38) prepares to throw against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Aug. 1, 2023.
Cobb, a 13-year MLB veteran, has experienced many injuries throughout his career, especially in the 2024 season.
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He underwent left hip surgery in October 2023, then he was limited in 2024 to three starts in the regular season and two starts in the postseason because of the hip rehabilitation and five injuries. The five injuries: elbow tightness, shoulder discomfort, a broken fingernail, a blood blister and a low back strain.
When healthy, Cobb posted a 2.76 ERA in three starts with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024.
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Cobb hasn't been fully healthy since the 2022-23 seasons with the San Francisco Giants . In those years, he posted a 3.80 ERA with 80 walks (6.3% walk rate) and 282 strikeouts (22.1% strikeout rate) across 301 innings in 56 starts.
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He made the All-Star team in 2023.
Cobb is under contract for $15 million in 2025, but he can increase his salary to $17 million by unlocking a pair of bonuses: $1 million for 140 innings and $1 million for 150 innings.
"He's not going to make the beginning of the season," Hinch said.
Other medical updates
Shortstop Javier Báez (right hip labral repair) is completing full hitting and defensive drills, but he still needs to compete a return-to-play running progression when he arrives to spring training. The Tigers expect Báez to be ready for Opening Day in his return from right hip surgery in early September that ended his 2024 season.
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Right-handed reliever Wilmer Flores (right shoulder inflammation) received a PRP injection in January for right shoulder soreness. He has missed more than three months on the injured list with a right shoulder injury in 2024.
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Right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long (left hip labral repair, right ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction) is throwing bullpen sessions twice per week in return from Tommy John surgery in April 2024. He will throw his next bullpen Friday.
Right-handed reliever Alex Lange (right lat strain) is throwing bullpen sessions twice per week in his return from right lat surgery in late June that ended his 2024 season, with his next bullpen Saturday.
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Right-handed reliever Tyler Mattison (right ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction) is throwing bullpen sessions twice per week in his return from Tommy John surgery in March 2024, with his next bullpen Saturday.
Right-handed reliever Ricky Vanasco (right hip labral repair) is playing catch six times per week.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Cobb injury update: Tigers pitcher won't be ready for Opening Day
