Rays right-hander Alex Cobb’s 2015 season is in jeopardy, as is much of his 2016 season, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that an MRI has revealed a partially torn ligament in his right elbow. For the time being, Cobb will rest and undergo treatment in an attempt to pitch through the injury, but he’ll be facing Tommy John surgery if that route proves unsuccessful.
Cobb, 27, has already received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the elbow as part of a visit with Dr. James Andrews. President of baseball operations Matt Silverman told Topkin earlier that the team was in “wait and see” mode and that speculation regarding surgery was premature, though that appears to have been before Topkin learned of the MRI results.
Over the past two seasons, Cobb has looked the part of a front-line starter when healthy enough to take the hill. He’s worked to a 2.82 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 56 percent ground-ball rate in 309 2/3 innings. He has also, however, missed time with a concussion and an oblique injury, and this season he opened the year on the disabled list due to what was originally termed right forearm tendinitis.
Losing Cobb would be a significant blow to a second-place Rays team that has been anxiously awaiting his return to the rotation. However, Tampa successfully weathered the storm after losing Matt Moore to Tommy John surgery last year and trading ace David Price, as their new-look rotation currently features Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Nate Karns and Alex Colome.
Moore is expected to rejoin the club sometime in June or July, and there are other depth options on the 40-man roster including Erasmo Ramirez and Matt Andriese. Another potential depth option, righty Burch Smith (acquired in the Wil Myers trade) is already lost for the year due to Tommy John surgery, however, and Ramirez’s struggles over the past year-plus have been extreme. Further injuries in the rotation, then, could lead to some trade consideration this summer, but adding Moore to the current crop of healthy starters would seem enough to carve out a competitive rotation, even if Cobb is unfortunately lost for the next year.
Jeez, part of 2016 too. Sucks for the Rays.
Sorry to hear this, hope he gets back soon.
Just goes to show you can never have enough pitching. Especially in today’s game. It seems like just a matter of time until an ace needs Tommy John. It’s pretty wild. Luckily for TB, they have a plethora of pitching prospects and if Moore can come back healthy, that will certainly help. Best of luck to Cobb though. He’s been a very good pitcher when healthy.
Something needs to be done about all these pitchers needing TJ surgery. First Matt Moore, now Alex Cobb, the Rays need some help somewhere.
it’s too bad they cannot trade for a vet like Hamels…sigh.
Yea, I know. Maybe we can find someone that won’t cost us a arm and a leg.
we will be fine still best starting rotation in Al east
Yea, I know, news like this just gets you. Box is going to have to step up even more, we also need Drew to stay healthy.
Wait…. I thought partially torn ligaments don’t require surgery?
It depends how torn it is. Tanaka has a partially torn UCL and he never needed the surgery, though I think the wear-and-tear will eventually get to him. Cobb’s must be a lot more severe, hence why he is gonna need surgery.
It’s getting close to a point where it would be a shorter and more uncommon article to list a pitcher NOT going in for TJS…
sadly
Completely agree.
If Tanaka comes back healthy and Nova comes back effectively, Yankees will have a serious bid for the best rotation
All big ifs though.
Agreed
Tanaka’s not coming back healthy and at 100%. By putting of TJ surgery he’s just delaying the inevitable.
Is anyone keeping track on the success rate of this ‘platelet’ stuff?
Other than Bartolo Colon, it doesn’t seem to have worked for anyone.
And I suspect in his case, it was a cover for other substances….
Proof?
90 please, on the rocks.
Yeah, I’m sure James Andrews keeps track of it quite well.
Wow. This is truly a pandemic.