Detroit Tigers Provide Injury Update On High-Priced Offseason Addition

The Detroit Tigers got some bad news at the start of spring training regarding one of their offseason free agent signings.

Right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb, who the Tigers signed in early December, was revealed to be dealing with a hip inflammation issue. His status for beginning his spring program was delayed by roughly a month and put his Opening Day status in doubt.

In order to further aid in his recovery - which is about two weeks into the month delay - Cobb received an epidural injection this week after receiving a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection at the start of the process.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch clarified the new injection was a planned step in the recovery and Cobb is on schedule.

"This is all part of the regimen," Hinch said via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "It is no change, but [the injection] is a new event that we felt like we needed to put in [the injury report]."

Cobb was scheduled to begin to play catch this week on Wednesday according to Hinch, which by all accounts went fine with no new update from the session.

The Tigers believed Cobb was going to be beyond capable of helping the starting rotation when they handed him a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $15 million that contains bonuses to pay him up to $17 million if he can pitch over 150 innings, something he has done just four times in his 13-year career.

Dealing with injuries is nothing new for the 37-year-old.

Having never made 30 starts in a season during his career, Cobb started just three times towards the end of the regular season for the Cleveland Guardians following a trade from the San Francisco Giants in 2024.

Over 16.1 innings in those three starts, Cobb had a 2-1 record with a very solid 2.76 ERA and 1.041 WHIP.

The trade to the Guardians came off a successful two-year run with the Giants which included the only All-Star appearance of his career in 2023.

Over a mostly healthy two seasons with San Francisco, Cobb made 56 starts with a 3.80 ERA, racking up 282 strikeouts in just over 300 innings.

Cobb has a relationship with president of baseball operations Scott Harris going back to his days with the Giants where he initially signed the righty when he was the team's general manager.

With potentially more pitching depth than may have been initially suspected in Detroit, Cobb is going to have to earn a spot in the starting rotation when he returns if he does in fact miss the start of the season as expected.

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