According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday night, starting pitcher Alex Cobb of the San Francisco Giants is presently recovering at the team’s minor-league facilities in Arizona.
On October 31, Cobb had hip surgery to remove several bone chips and mend his torn labrum. There are currently five anchors in the hip of the 36-year-old right-hander.
Cobb is scheduled to begin flat-ground throwing in the coming days, according to Slusser, even if the veteran pitcher still lacks a firm return date to the mound. Cobb also said he “fully expects” to return before the July All-Star break and that he anticipates returning to the major league rotation sooner than first anticipated.
Cobb was 7–7 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.322 WHIP, and 2.6 WAR in 2023, his first season as an All-Star.
2011 saw the righty make his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2015, after becoming an indispensable member of the Rays’ starting lineup, Cobb had Tommy John surgery. He came back at the end of 2016, but he wasn’t fully recovered until 2017.
The next offseason, Cobb inked a four-year, $57 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Cobb had a 48-35 record, 3.50 ERA, 1.217 WHIP, and 11.2 WAR at the end of his Tampa Bay career.
Cobb’s tenure in Baltimore wasn’t especially successful; after arriving in 2018, his output started to decline. Cobb only made three starts in 2019 due to a serious hip injury, and in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, he only made ten starts.
In 2021, the Los Angeles Angels made a gamble by acquiring Cobb in a trade. With an 8-3 record, 3.76 ERA, and 1.264 WHIP, Cobb had steadied his career and was able to sign a $20 million, two-year contract with the Giants.
As one of the Giants’ top starts for the following two seasons, Cobb finished 14–15 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.312 WHIP, and 5.3 WAR. Despite Cobb’s injuries, San Francisco selected a $10 million club option on his contract last October.
Over the past three years, Logan Webb has established himself as the Giants’ ace, but there were many unanswered questions about him when the team started the summer.
Cobb and Robbie Ray, a recent trade acquisition who had Tommy John surgery in May while playing for the Seattle Mariners, are expected to miss at least the first few months of 2024. Standout reliever Jordan Hicks inked a four-year, $44 million contract with San Francisco on Thursday, with the team reportedly planning to deploy him as a starter.
The Giants might end up with a well-rounded rotation in the second half of 2024 with Webb, Cobb, Ray, Hicks, and top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison — and that’s not even taking into account any acquisitions they might make before to Opening Day.