Injuries limited Alex Cobb to three starts last season. Another setback will delay his debut with the Tigers.
The veteran pitcher, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Detroit this winter, is recovering from right hip inflammation that occurred during his throwing preparations for spring training and won't be ready for the start of the season.
Cobb received a platelet-rich plasma injection after reporting hip discomfort during a bullpen session earlier this month, the Tigers announced Wednesday as pitchers and catchers reported to Lakeland for the start of spring training.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that Cobb's ramp-up to the season will be delayed by about a month. That won't leave him enough runway to be ready by Opening Day.
Hinch said that the bullpen session in which Cobb felt the discomfort was during the first week of February and the Tigers "decided the best course of action was to get him checked out and get the injection."
"That injection is trending to set him back about a month, and if it’s sooner than that, great. If it’s not, we’ll deal with it. But obviously, it opens up more competition in the rotation," said Hinch, per MLive.
Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson are locked in to the rotation, and rookie Jackson Jobe has a good shot at joining them. That would leave a handful of other arms to compete for the final spot, including Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Keider Montero.
Cobb, 37, underwent surgery on his left hip last offseason that, along with a subsequent shoulder injury, delayed his season debut until August. He also dealt with finger and back issues following a trade from the Giants to the Guardians, for whom he posted a 2.76 ERA in three starts down the stretch.
Cobb also made two starts in the playoffs, including Game 3 of the ALDS against the Tigers at Comerica Park. If the Tigers are to return to the playoffs this season, they'll have to do it without Cobb's help out of the gate.