After signing a one-year, $15 million deal with the Detroit Tigers in December of 2024, Alex Cobb was supposed to be another key addition to the starting rotation that could help in a World Series push. Things haven't gone as planned.
Cobb, 37, is yet to make his Tigers debut this season. A left hip injury that was discovered during Spring Training led to the 2023 All-Star landing on the 60-day injured list.
At that time, Cobb was still supposed to make a return to the Tigers this season. Recent news shows that this doesn't seem to be the case.
Hip injuries have been nothing new for Alex Cobb. Among the large list of setbacks in his 14-year career is surgery for an impingement in his right hip in 2019, but now he's finding inflammation on the opposite side.
After receiving multiple injections to address the hip discomfort, there is a concern for the pitcher's long-term health after his baseball career is over.
"Whatever happens, Cobb said he will eventually need a hip procedure to ensure he can live a normal, mobile life," Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic wrote.
The current goal for Cobb and the Tigers is that he'll be able to make a return for Detroit in the back half of the season. Maybe using the 37-year-old during the team's hopeful postseason push in October.
"What dictates success at the end of the year is me knowing I did everything I could,” Cobb said. “If that means pitching scoreless innings late in September and into October, great. I’ll be very thrilled with that. (But) I’ll be able to lay down peacefully at night if I know that I gave everything I had," the Tigers pitcher told The Athletic.
Although an injury like this could take a toll on a player's mental health, it's uplifting to see that Alex Cobb is still doing everything he can to get back to the mound.