Alex Cobb’s Rays return delayed
By Tim Haberin
The Tampa Bay Rays have been missing pitcher Alex Cobb for the first several weeks of the 2015 season and were expecting to get him back shortly. The 27-year-old starter was diagnosed with tendinitis in his forearm during Spring Training and had been preparing to rejoin the team. Unfortunately for Tampa, an update on his status yesterday called to mind a word no team wants attached to a player’s rehab progress: “setback.”
Cobb was scheduled to throw on Sunday but the team nixed the session when the hurler reported discomfort. “He just didn’t feel as good as he was hoping,” Rays manager Kevin Cash explained. “Any time you’re dealing with a pitcher’s arm, it’s obviously concerning.” After an evaluation by team physicians, the Rays have decided to shut Cobb down for the next few days.
If Tampa Bay is going to compete in the American League East this year, they are going to do it on the back of their starting rotation. Alex Cobb figured to serve as a vital component of that staff, as he has in previous seasons. The right-hander was quietly one of the better starters in the AL over the last two campaigns. In 49 starts (309.2 IP) in 2013-2014 he posted a 2.82 ERA along with impressive 8.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 rates. Cobb was one of the most consistent, reliable pieces in a stout rotation that also boasted David Price for much of that two-year span.
Cobb has overcome injury obstacles in taking the mound before. A particularly alarming incident occurred in June 2013 when an Eric Hosmer line drive struck his head. Cobb suffered a mild concussion that sidelined him for two months. Though he continued to pitch well upon his return, he still felt lingering effects of the experience a year later.
The Rays can take some solace in the fact that the rest of their rotation has been performing at very high levels. Chris Archer is leading the charge with a sparkling 1.64 ERA over six starts, more than enough for us to highlight him as an early contender for the Cy Young award. Jake Odorizzi is also enjoying a surprisingly hot start, allowing 28 hits and ten earned runs in 40.2 innings of work. He has also given out just eight walks thus far. Three Rays starters (Archer, Odorizzi and rookie Nate Karns) are holding opponents to sub-.200 batting averages. Tampa Bay has long been buoyed by its pipeline of good, young starting pitching. With Cobb out, they are going to need that group to remain sturdy, and right now it is certainly holding up its end of the bargain.
Another factor to keep in mind is that Matt Moore is currently working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Moore faced live hitters for the first time last Sunday and is aiming for a return around the middle of June. He was an All-Star in 2013, posting a 3.29 ERA while winning 17 games. 25-year-old Moore is a real wild card who could play a big part in Tampa’s fortunes this season. He seemed poised to truly establish himself as a top big league pitcher before his torn elbow ligament grounded him. Those returning from TJS typically need some time to round back into form, but if Moore can hit his stride sooner rather than later it would be a major boost to the rotation, regardless of what happens with Alex Cobb.
For now, the Rays can only sit and wait to see how Cobb feels in a few days. If he reports an improvement they will likely exhale somewhat, but these seemingly minor arm ailments have a tendency of sticking around longer than anyone initially expected. Sterling performances from Archer, Odorizzi and the like are keeping Tampa in the race, but a healthy Alex Cobb would be a nice extra bullet.