Guardians' Alex Cobb: Off ALCS roster due to back injury
Rotowire
The Guardians removed Cobb from their ALCS roster due to an acute left low-back strain.
Cobb lasted 2.2 innings in his Game 1 start against the Yankees, getting charged with three runs on five hits and three walks. Because he's being removed from the roster due to injury, he is now ineligible for the World Series, should the Guardians advance. Ben Lively has absorbed Cobb's roster spot and might also get an ALCS start in his place.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Will start Game 1 of ALCS
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Cobb has been named the starter for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series versus the Yankees, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Cobb was able to start only three games during the regular season, though he was effective with a 2.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings. The right-hander started Game 3 of the ALDS versus Detroit and took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two batters over three frames. That was his first outing since Sept. 1, so Cobb may not be ready to handle a full workload -- he exited after 41 pitches in his ALDS start.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Named ALDS Game 3 starter
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Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Monday that Cobb will start Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALDS in Detroit, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Cobb was added to the roster prior to the ALDS after missing the end of the regular season with a blister on his pitching hand, and the Guardians will rely on him to be part of their rotation for the series. The veteran right-hander was limited to just three starts during the regular season due to injury but posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings. It's unclear what kind of workload Cobb might be able to handle in Game 3, but Cleveland is unlikely to count on him to work deep into the contest.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Activated from IL for ALDS
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Cobb (finger) is included on the Guardians' ALDS roster.
Cobb ended the regular season on the injured list due to a right finger blister, but his inclusion on the roster for the division series versus the Tigers suggests he's recovered. It's unclear if Cobb will be asked to start a game during the series or if he will serve as an option out of the bullpen. The right-hander posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB over 16.1 innings across three starts during the regular season.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Back to injured list with blister
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The Guardians placed Cobb on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right hand blister, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Cobb had to be scratched from a scheduled start this past weekend due to the issue and didn't heal fast enough to avoid another stint on the IL. He'll be eligible to return during the final week of the season and should be ready to go by that time. Cobb's injury means both Joey Cantillo and Ben Lively (thigh), presuming the latter is healthy enough to do so, should remain in the Cleveland rotation.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Scratched from Saturday start
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Cobb will not make his scheduled start Saturday against the Dodgers due to a blister on his pitching hand, Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Cobb's return from the 60-day injured list was delayed in mid-August due to a fractured fingernail, and he's now developing the beginnings of a blister on the index finger on the same hand. The Guardians are being cautious with the right-hander and will instead turn to Gavin Williams to start Saturday's game on four days' rest. Cleveland is viewing Cobb as day-to-day.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Takes perfect game into seventh
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Cobb (2-1) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run (zero earned) on two hits over six innings against the Pirates. He struck out six.
Cobb (finger) returned from the 15-day injured list to make just his third start of the season and was lights-out, starting the game by retiring the first 18 batters he faced. In the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa rocketed a ground ball up the middle that caught Cobb's non-pitching hand just above the heel of his glove and resulted in an infield single. Cobb was briefly shaken up but stayed in the game to face one more batter, allowing a single to Bryan Reynolds before being removed after 80 pitches. Following a rough first outing with the Guardians, Cobb has allowed just one earned run and seven total baserunners over his last two outings spanning 11.2 innings. He'll look to continue to spearhead the Cleveland charge towards a division pennant when he makes his next start, currently slated to take place in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Activated for Sunday's start
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The Guardians reinstated Cobb (finger) from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday against the Pirates, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander landed on the injured list due to a fractured fingernail after his Aug. 14 start against the Cubs, but he'll rejoin the rotation after missing little more than the 15-day minimum. Cobb struggled in his season debut at Minnesota in early August with four earned runs allowed across 4.2 innings, but he pitched much better versus Chicago, as he gave up just one run in 5.2 frames.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Rejoining rotation Sunday
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Cobb (fingernail) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday against the Pirates, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Cobb will wind up spending just one day beyond the minimum on the 15-day IL due to a cracked fingernail on his pitching hand. He did not make a rehab start, but given the brevity of his absence, Cobb should be able to handle a relatively normal workload versus the Pirates.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Tosses bullpen session
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Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said that Cobb (fingernail) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday, Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The team hasn't provided an update regarding how Cobb felt coming out of the side session, but assuming he was able to throw all his pitches without being inhibited by the fractured nail on his right hand, he should throw a live batting practice session by the middle of the week. Given that Cobb was first placed on the 15-day injured list this past Monday due to the fingernail issue, he may not need a minor-league rehab assignment prior to being activated.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Secures first victory as Guardian
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Cobb (1-1) earned the win over the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 5.2 innings.
Cobb struggled in his team debut last Friday, allowing five runs (four earned) over 4.2 frames. He was much better in his second outing, yielding just a fourth-inning run while getting through 5.2 frames on a relatively efficient 80 pitches. Cobb may still be on a mildly regulated pitch count since he missed the first four-plus months of the campaign following offseason hip surgery and topped out at 69 pitches during his minor-league rehab stint, but he should have any restriction lifted soon. His next start is projected to be a tough matchup against the Yankees in New York.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Activated ahead of start
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Cobb (hip/shoulder/finger) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start in the second game of Friday's doubleheader versus Minnesota.
Cobb has been on the shelf all season while recovering from a left hip procedure he underwent in the offseason as well as various other injuries he suffered during rehab. He's now set to make his season debut for the Guardians after being traded from San Francisco ahead of the trade deadline. The 36-year-old righty posted a 3.52 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while striking out 29 batters across 23 innings during his rehab assignment, and he was able to throw 69 pitches (4.2 innings) during his most recent minor-league outing. Anthony Gose was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Poised for team debut this weekend
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Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Monday that Cobb (hip) is on track to return from the 60-day injured list to make a start at some point during this weekend's four-game series in Minnesota, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Cobb has spent the entire 2024 campaign on the IL while working his way back from offseason left hip surgery and hitting a couple road bumps in the rehab process along the way, but he looks to be back to optimal health and fully stretched out for a starting role. After Cobb made six rehab appearances from June 30 through July 26, he was traded from the Giants to the Guardians last week and shifted his rehab assignment to Triple-A Columbus. He looked good during his start with Columbus on Saturday, tossing 69 pitches and covering 4.2 innings while striking out five and allowing five baserunners.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Tosses 69 pitches in rehab start
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Cobb (hip/shoulder/finger) covered 4.2 innings in his rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Columbus, striking out five while allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks.
Cobb spotted 44 of his 69 pitches and sported a fastball that maxed out at 94.9 miles per hour. The right-hander has now made seven rehab starts overall, but Saturday's was his first as a member of the Guardians organization after he was acquired from the Giants on Tuesday. At this point, Cobb looks to be fully stretched back out after having spent all season on the injured list up to this point while recovering from offseason hip surgery. Cobb also had his rehab program slowed down by a sore shoulder and more recently, a blister, but neither issue looks to be a concern moving forward. Assuming the Guardians were satisfied with how Cobb fared Saturday, he could come off the 60-day IL and make his 2024 MLB debut as soon as Friday, when the Guardians will begin a four-game series with the Twins with a doubleheader.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Making rehab start Saturday
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Cobb (hip/shoulder/blister) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Various injuries have prevented Cobb from pitching in the majors this season, though he could be added to the Guardians' rotation next week if everything goes well during this rehab outing. Assuming Saturday is his final start in the minors, the 36-year-old righty would be lined up to make his season debut Aug. 9 during a doubleheader with the Twins.
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Guardians' Alex Cobb: Headed to Cleveland
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The Guardians acquired Cobb (hip/shoulder/blister) from the Giants on Tuesday in exchange for Jacob Bresnahan and a player to be named later, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Cobb has yet to pitch in the majors this season while recovering from a variety of injuries but had been expected to make a start for the Giants this weekend. The Guardians plan to give him one more rehab start before inserting him into their rotation next week, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Hayden Birdsong is expected to take Cobb's spot in the Giants' rotation.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Blister pushes back return
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Cobb (hip/shoulder) popped a blister on his right index finger during his final rehab start Friday, which will push back his season debut from the two-game series against Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
It's yet another delay for the veteran right-hander, who has been on the shelf all season due to hip and shoulder injuries. The blister isn't expected to be a significant hurdle for Cobb, however, and he should still be able to make his season debut during next weekend's series at Cincinnati.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Works two innings in rehab start
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Cobb (hip/shoulder) struck out four batters and allowed three earned runs on five hits and two walks over two innings in his rehab start Friday with Single-A San Jose.
The Giants might have been hoping for better results from Cobb in the sixth start of his rehab assignment, but assuming he feels fine physically coming out of Friday's outing, he could be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list to make his next start with the big club. Cobb was lifted after 50 pitches (30 strikes) in Friday's rehab appearance, though it's possible that he was able to push up that pitch count with a bullpen session following his exit from the game. The Giants have seemingly already cleared the way for Cobb to rejoin the rotation, as Jordan Hicks was scratched from his anticipated start Sunday versus the Rockies and looks set to work out of the bullpen moving forward, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cobb -- who has been out all season while recovering from offseason hip surgery and then experienced shoulder soreness during the rehab process -- tentatively lines up to make his 2024 Giants debut Wednesday versus the Athletics.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Could return next week
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Cobb (hip/shoulder) is scheduled to throw five innings for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday in what is expected to be his final rehab start, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Friday's rehab start will be Cobb's sixth as part of his recovery from offseason hip surgery and midseason shoulder soreness. If all goes well, the right-hander would be in line to pitch Wednesday against the Athletics, a move that would push Jordan Hicks to the bullpen. Cobb has yielded five runs with a 20:5 K:BB across 16.1 minor-league innings during his rehab stint.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Sparkles in latest rehab start
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Cobb (hip/shoulder) struck out four and scattered two hits and one walk over five scoreless innings in a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Sacramento.
Making the fifth start of his rehab assignment, Cobb jumped up a couple levels after having previously pitched in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and with Single-A San Jose. He needed 60 pitches to record 15 outs in what was his lengthiest rehab appearance to date. Cobb looks to be nearing the finish line in his recovery from left hip surgery as well as a sore pitching shoulder, the latter of which resulted in his throwing program being slowed down earlier this season. Per MLB.com, manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that the organization is still determining the next step for Cobb, but the veteran righty appears to be on track to make one more rehab start with Sacramento before coming off the 60-day injured list during the Giants' next homestand, which begins Friday and runs through July 31.
