Latest news with #AlexCobb
New York Times
05-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside Alex Cobb's battle to rewrite the final chapter of his MLB career
DETROIT — It was still June when Alex Cobb had to recalibrate once more. Since February, he had been plotting his return to the major leagues. But pain in his hips kept flaring up. That date got pushed back. Again. And again. And again. 'I've done that probably 20 times now,' he said. 'I circled Opening Day when I first signed. I remember when I first heard I was going to miss a few weeks in the offseason. I was shocked. And now, obviously, we're here.' Advertisement Now that it is August, 'here' is a strange situation. The Detroit Tigers gave Cobb a one-year, $15 million deal this winter entering his age-37 season despite a checkered injury history. Among other things, he's had issues with his left hip and his right hip. There have been blisters, turf toe, a hamstring strain, a UCL reconstruction and thoracic outlet syndrome that once resulted in him keeping a rib in a jar. On the first day of spring training, the Tigers announced Cobb was again battling inflammation in his right hip — a different hip than the one he spent most of last year rehabbing after surgery. But right hip issues were nothing new. He had surgery for an impingement there in 2019. Back in February, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris stood in front of reporters on a dewy Florida morning. He proclaimed optimism for Cobb's recovery but still said, 'I didn't really think he was going to pitch 175 to 200 innings coming off last year, anyway.' One year after throwing only 16 1/3 innings in the regular season, Cobb's rehab from his latest issue has gone anything but smoothly. And it has led to this awkward crossroad. It's plenty fair to question the Tigers' signing of Cobb in the first place. His inability to pitch this season serves as at least part of the reason the Tigers had to get pitching reinforcements such as Chris Paddack and 41-year-old Charlie Morton at the trade deadline. Cobb himself, though, is still trying to work his way back. Still fighting time and his own body. Still clinging to pride and a competitive spirit in hopes this year will not be a waste. 'I've never been on a team with this type of potential,' Cobb said last week. 'I've never been in first place at the trade deadline or nine games up, whatever we are, and obviously we have a real chance to do something really special. If I was ever on a team and we were the last team standing and we got a nice little trophy and a ring, I'd want to stare at that ring and feel like I did everything I could to contribute, even if it's just a little bit. Advertisement 'I'd feel a lot more pride in that if I could stare at that ring and know that, even if it wasn't the expectation I had for my season, I contributed in some sort of way.' Few will feel sorry for the guy cashing a $15 million check to collect dust on the injured list. But Cobb has a sterling reputation across the league. His absence this season has not been for lack of trying. He has started rehab assignments and looked painfully stiff on the mound. His ability to move and cover first base has been arguably a greater concern than the stuff coming out of his hand. As he worked his way back from the right hip issue, a problem in the left hip flared up once again. He started receiving injections, too many to count, a number so large he doesn't exactly want it published. Cobb said he's been assured these injections aren't coming with a risk to his long-term health. 'I'm not just shoving drugs into my system,' Cobb said. 'I'm doing a lot of biologic injections, which come from my own blood, my own body. I feel a lot more comfortable with that. I know it looks a little questionable on paper. Those injections that I've had have given me hope.' Cobb seems to understand his hip condition could signal the end of his career. Even before the Tigers and other teams called this offseason, Cobb had wondered if he might be done. But he would prefer not to go out this way. Not like this. 'As the diagnosis has come in and the pain sets in and you realize the challenges that are in front of you, I think realizing where you are at in your career and the possibility of things being over, final, to think about never stepping on a big-league mound again … I think it hits you pretty hard and gives you a motivation to want to have that feeling again, to compete against the best,' Cobb said. 'Once you're done, you're done. Your childhood dream is over, and I don't want to have that feeling.' Advertisement Whatever happens, Cobb said he will eventually need a hip procedure to ensure he can live a normal, mobile life. But for now, he's still focused on pitching. In a rehab outing Sunday at High-A West Michigan, Cobb pitched two innings, striking out two batters, allowing two hits, one walk and one unearned run. Harris recently listed Cobb among the pitchers who could help the Tigers down the stretch. So perhaps the organization is still holding out hope of its own. Manager A.J. Hinch, though, has included the word 'if' in most of his recent comments about Cobb. If he can get healthy. If his stuff can measure up at the highest level. 'You guys don't even really know Alex Cobb,' Hinch told reporters. 'And that's unfortunate for a lot of reasons. I think the same with our fan base. He's like this mysterious guy who hasn't done anything yet.' Hinch has watched Cobb fight to get back on the field. He has checked in with Cobb after bullpens and rehab starts, seen the optimism on his face and then watched as those hopes have been dashed. The effort has been admirable, even if the desired result has not yet arrived. 'I feel for him,' Hinch said, 'because I know, competitively, where his mind is.' As the margin for error grows thinner, Cobb said he has accepted he will have to pitch through pain if he wants to get back this season. He is still pushing forward. He has dealt with the uncertainty, the guilt, the reality that the end of his career might be near. But for a bit longer, he is still working his way back. If this were a multiyear deal, he admitted, perhaps he would have thrown in the towel on the season and aimed to return next year. This time, next year is not promised. So Cobb is doing all he can, yearning for a better ending. '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.'
New York Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Shane Bieber knows his path to aiding the Blue Jays in October. Now he's one step closer
TORONTO — Shane Bieber leaned on the dugout rail as his Cleveland Guardians pushed to the 2024 American League Division Series. All he could do was watch. Six months into his Tommy John recovery, Bieber was stuck on the sidelines as Alex Cobb and Matt Boyd carried Cleveland's rotation through the playoffs. Advertisement Bieber didn't realize it at the time, but he was looking into his own future — a glimpse at the rehabbing hired gun he'd soon become. The Guardians signed Boyd as a free agent in late June last season, a year after he underwent Tommy John. They traded for Cobb at the 2024 deadline, months before he could return from hip surgery and a shoulder issue. They were upside wagers. The Guardians needed rotation help and took shots on injured arms. Those moves paid off, as Cobb and Boyd started five of the Guardians' 10 October games last year. Now Bieber hopes to deliver on that same gamble for Toronto. 'They both turned out to be great assets,' Bieber said of Cobb and Boyd. 'Just to pick their brains on their experiences going through a surgery like this, how best to go about it, what to expect.' Bieber completed a fifth rehab outing on Sunday, three days after his trade to Toronto. He threw five innings for Triple-A Buffalo, striking out six batters and allowing two earned runs. The Syracuse Mets' damage came on a ground-ball single in the second frame and a solo shot in the third. Bieber reached 62 pitches with efficient innings and will likely require at least one more rehab outing to build up further. 'I'm close now,' Bieber said ahead of the outing. 'It's easier said than done to just take it one day at a time, but I'm gonna do just that.' At his best, Bieber is a conniving pitcher. His velocity doesn't overwhelm, and none of his five pitches rank above average in models such as Stuff+. He frustrates, instead, with location, tunnelling and sequencing. Syracuse catcher Matt O'Neill leaned back with dismay as he watched a called strike clip the side of the zone for a third-inning strikeout on Sunday. Bieber gets ahead with a four-seam fastball, throwing it over 50 percent of the time to start at-bats. He then owns the outside edge with the rest of his offerings — slider, changeup, curveball and cutter. Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins planned against Bieber many times while leading the Minnesota Twins' offence. The general approach was to go down and hit his pitches on the corners or hope Bieber missed in the zone — pick one. It's either giving in to Bieber or patience that may never be rewarded. Neither approach is ideal. Advertisement Ernie Clement played behind Bieber for two years in Cleveland. That version of Bieber posted a 2.97 ERA across 2021 and 2022, following up a Cy Young campaign with continued dominance. He's one of the easiest pitchers to field behind, Clement said, because 'he just strikes everybody out.' In his final full season before injury in 2023, Bieber earned a 3.80 ERA. Expecting a return to that form after major elbow surgery is a lofty task, but Bieber just watched it happen. When Boyd joined the Guardians' rotation last August after Tommy John, he posted a 2.72 ERA in eight starts down the stretch. Boyd then allowed just one run in three postseason outings. 'Seeing the success he had right away was encouraging,' Bieber told The Athletic earlier this year. It remains a mystery how, specifically, Bieber fits into Toronto's September rotation and October plans. Manager John Schneider met with the Jays' five current starters after the trade, he said, stressing to the group to 'not be looking over your shoulder.' There is a chance that at least one will lose their starting spot, eventually. The team is also considering a six-man rotation, but that would throw off routines and add stress to the bullpen. 'There's not a glaring person that deserves to be demoted or moved or anything like that,' Schneider said. 'So I just think it's a good problem to have, and you deal with it when that time comes.' That decision will fall on Schneider and Toronto's coaching staff. It probably won't come for at least 10 more days. Bieber's current task is simple: continue carving through minor-league hitters and building his pitch count. Then, eventually, he can step off the sidelines. The Blue Jays hope, this October, Bieber won't be stuck watching.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Detroit Tigers veteran Alex Cobb hasn't quit baseball despite pain in both hips
Alex Cobb has pain in both hips. He still hasn't pitched for the Detroit Tigers. And he doesn't want to share how many injections he has received in the past six months. "It's been a lot," Cobb said. FREE AGENCY: Alex Cobb thought about retirement. Now Tigers are paying him $15 million Cobb — the 37-year-old right-hander whom the Tigers signed to a one-year, $15 million contract in free agency — has been injured since early February, roughly one week before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. He has thrown countless bullpen sessions in the past six months, along with four starts in two separate rehab assignments. His goal is to pitch for the Tigers in 2025, whether it's in the regular season or the postseason. The 13-year MLB veteran refuses to give up. But why? As he explained: "It's been obviously really challenging. I signed a really nice contract with a team that obviously had really high expectations for me going into the season. First and foremost, you have a responsibility to try to fulfill that as much as possible. As the diagnosis has come in, and the pain sets in, and you realize the challenges that are in front of you, I think realizing where you are at in your career, and the possibility of things things being over, to think about never stepping on a big-league mound again, it hits you pretty hard and gives you a motivation to want to be able to have that feeling again, jus competing against the best. Once you're done, you're done — your childhood dream is over. I don't want to have that feeling. I think the most important one is I've never been on a team with this type of potential. We have a real chance to do something really special. If I was ever on a team, and we were the last team standing, and we had a nice little trophy and a ring, I'd want to stare at that ring and feel like I did everything I could to contribute, even if it's just a little bit. I'd feel a lot more pride in that if I could stare at that ring, and even if it wasn't the expectations that I had for my season, knowing that I contributed in some sort of way." BOYS ARE BACK: Tigers are winning again. Is Riley Greene's mustache the magic? In his first rehab assignment, Cobb made two starts for High-A West Michigan and one start for Triple-A Toledo — from May 30-June 11 — before the Tigers stopped his rehab assignment due to soreness in both hips. He began his second rehab assignment Tuesday, July 29, with High-A West Michigan, allowing one run on one hit and zero walks with four strikeouts in two innings. All four of his strikeouts came on swings. He threw 31 pitches. "Where I'm at, I'm going to have pain," said Cobb, who will start again Sunday, Aug. 3, for the Whitecaps. "It's just going to be dealing with it and seeing if we can do it effectively. I'm not going to be pain free, and I'm going to have to battle through pain." [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Celebrate 125 epic seasons with the Tigers! In the future, Cobb plans to undergo a procedure to fix his hips. He expects to live a normal life after baseball. In the meantime, Cobb has received numerous injections to block out as much pain as possible from his hips. He has relied on biologic injections, which uses ingredients like blood, tissues and cells from his own body. "I'm making sure that they're not going to affect my long-term health," Cobb said. "It's not like I'm just shoving drugs into my system. I know it looks a little questionable on paper, but those injections have given me hope." NEW PITCHER: Tigers grade for Chris Paddack trade: Nobody better to replace Reese Olson? Looking ahead, Cobb has redefined the expectations for what he aims to accomplish in the 2025 season. He just wants to try his best to pitch again. "I don't think I can define success by anything other than me giving every last bit I have to the organization," Cobb said. "Most other seasons, it would have been easier to probably throw in the towel at certain times, but it's just this season in front of me. What dictates the success at the end of the year is me knowing I did everything I could. I'll be able to lay down peacefully at night if I know that I gave everything I had." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Alex Cobb won't quit baseball despite pain in hips
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: Guardians approach deadline up in the air after hot streak
CLEVELAND — It's trade deadline season, which means quite a few trades and an endless number of rumors and speculation about who is going where. The expectations for how the Guardians might handle this trade deadline keep evolving. Their recent 10-game skid in which the offense had to fight, scratch and claw for every run threatened to tip them toward sellers, increasing the chance that a few players on the roster could be moved with an eye on 2026. But, since that time, the Guardians have been the hottest team in the American League, winning 11 of their last 14 games, including a 5-2 mark since the All-Star break. That has again put them in the middle of the AL wild card race and on the doorstep of being in position for a playoff spot. It leaves the Guardians front office with a wide variety of possible paths with how to construct the roster. Last year, the Guardians added outfielder Lane Thomas and starting pitcher Alex Cobb at the deadline in addition to signing starter Matthew Boyd around the same time. 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, Guardians rumors Depending on the source, assorted bigger market clubs have their eyes on All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan, former All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and reliever Cade Smith. Stay tuned if any of those rumors are nothing more than pure speculation. When is the MLB trade deadline? The deadline to make a trade is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians trade rumors ahead of 2025 MLB trade deadline
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Guardians mailbag … sort of: Shane Bieber, José Ramírez, Carlos Santana, Emmanuel Clase, more
Look, I would publish a mailbag, but you're all just going to ask about when Chase DeLauter is going to be promoted. Maybe you'll sneak in a trade deadline question or two. I know how it would play out. To craft a compelling mailbag, variety is critical. So, I instead sought out specific people to ask these questions. I hope you understand. Advertisement When might I pitch in a big-league game? And, uh, it'll be for the Guardians, right? — Shane B. You threw a live batting practice session at Progressive Field on Saturday afternoon against a handful of hitters from Double-A Akron. You tossed two 15-pitch sessions to simulate two innings. And you surmised you'll do something similar once more this week before heading out on a rehab assignment. So, that could land you back on a big-league mound for a big-league game about a week or two into August. If another team is desperate to acquire you — I struggle to wrap my head around what the return would be in this scenario, given you've made four starts in 24 months — they'd do so without seeing you pitch against major leaguers. That doesn't mean you won't be coveted. The Cleveland Guardians traded for Alex Cobb last summer, and he had yet to throw a major-league pitch in 2024 because of hip, shoulder and finger injuries. It's also probably worth mentioning your comfort with the organization. You recently noted how you've spent nearly a decade with the organization, and how much you appreciate your relationships with the medical staff and coaches. Cleveland drafted you nine years ago; it's all you've ever known. For a player who has missed a lot of time because of injuries the last few years, that stuff matters to a degree. Would it make you or the team reluctant to pursue a trade? Will I be here past the trade deadline? — Carlos S. Wait, I'm wondering that, too. — Lane T. Ahem. Same question. — Emmanuel C. Teams are circling the Guardians like bloodthirsty sharks. I know of at least a handful of clubs that are itching to learn just how aggressively the Guardians plan to sell this month. Carlos Santana would sit behind Ryan O'Hearn and Josh Naylor on the big board of available first basemen, but there's not much incentive for Cleveland to keep him, especially since it would clear a path for a C.J. Kayfus promotion. Advertisement As for Thomas, it's been a nightmare of a contract year. He's once again sidelined because of plantar fasciitis, a lingering issue that might scare away buyers. If he's healthy, there's a useful role for him to play on a contender — one scout recently described him as the dream fourth outfielder — but nagging injuries (and a .518 OPS) won't help his trade value. Once DeLauter joins the big-league roster, Nolan Jones figures to play more center field, and the irony is, Thomas actually fits as a nice complement to those two left-handed hitters. But, he's headed for free agency this winter anyway, and the Guardians might be motivated to salvage anything they can for him. And then there's Clase, who's on the radar of some contenders who are salivating at the possibility of bolstering the back end of their bullpens. He's had a strange year. His walk and hit rates have about doubled from last season, but he has rebounded from an awful April. A team can keep him through the 2028 season for only $26.4 million. That timeline allows the Guardians to wait to be bowled over by an offer; they can revisit this over the winter if they prefer. But teams will be calling this month, and team president Chris Antonetti never presses the red 'decline' button. On what date will I eclipse Jim Thome's franchise home run record? And what will my statue look like? — José R. You need 67 homers to stand tall above Thome, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and every other slugger who has donned a Cleveland uniform since the start of the 20th century. Let's say you hit 40 between now and the end of next season. That would leave you 27 shy of the new record, which means you could achieve it by the end of the 2027 season. Of course, that assumes there's a full, 162-game slate in 2027, which many across the industry are dubious of, with another round of collective bargaining negotiations on the horizon. You're under team control through 2028. If you stay healthy, the record should be yours. As for the statue, despite the power, the famous strut, the hitting prowess and the reliable glove, isn't the prevailing image from your career some form of base running, with your helmet left behind in a cloud of dust? You could be plunging headfirst into a base or in a dead sprint while stretching a routine single into one of those only-José-could-have-done-that doubles. You've also earned the right to see the statue before your Cleveland tenure ends. There's no need to wait. Unveil the thing in 2028, if that's your final season with the franchise. Aren't double-digit losing streaks painful to watch? — Manny A. Nothing was more torturous than the 11-gamer that you, Mr. Acta, had a front-row seat for in 2012. It cemented your dismissal, despite a public vote of confidence from Paul Dolan. On July 27, that team was 50-49 and hanging around in the AL Central race. On Sept. 1, the club was 55-77. That's hard to do. Advertisement There were stretches of offensive ineptitude, stretches of dreadful pitching and, really, a lot of nights when they simply got shellacked. It also didn't go over well in the clubhouse when the team's marquee trade deadline acquisition was … Brent Lillibridge. By the end of the most pitiful month in team history, we were watching Jeanmar Gomez, Vinny Rottino, Russ Canzler and other players who had no ties to the team's future. Twelve teams in franchise history have recorded a double-digit losing streak. The 1931 club holds the record with 12 consecutive losses. This recently buried 10-game skid, however, included the worst offensive showing, by far, of any of the double-digit funks. As a team, the Guardians posted a .166/.235/.263 slash line in those 10 defeats. There's no better way to recover than to score 17 runs in your ensuing two games, as the Guardians have done in Houston. Remember me? — Triston M. I do. I really don't know whether you're going to pitch for the Guardians again, though. You've been in Arizona for nearly three months now, and the overall results fall somewhere between mixed and ugly. In eight outings (before your appearance Tuesday night), hitters have an .845 OPS against you. And a lot of them are teenagers just getting started with their professional careers. It has been jarring to check the box score and see the names 'Triston McKenzie' and 'Tyler Naquin' pitching back-to-back in relief in the Arizona Complex League, by the way. Naquin was promoted to Class-A Lake County on Tuesday. You were drafted in 2015, have pitched in postseason games and were a trendy Cy Young Award pick a couple of years ago. Now, you're headed for minor-league free agency. I fear the only path forward is with a change of scenery, after a winter of reflection. Everyone in Cleveland should be rooting for you, wherever your career takes you. Hey, talk me up! I've been good, right? — Slade C. You have been more than solid, especially for a guy in new surroundings with limited big-league experience. And because of those caveats, let's avoid looking at your metrics. We'll do that only if things go south. It was a great step to throw 105 pitches across six strong innings against the Detroit Tigers on Friday after an average of 83 pitches per start in your first eight outings. Clearly, you're earning trust from manager Stephen Vogt. You have a 3.56 ERA (and a 2.76 ERA over your last six starts) and healthy walk and strikeout ratios. That's all the Guardians could ask for at this point, so, for now, who cares about your hard-hit rate, chase rate and expected numbers? You've reduced your reliance on your fastball, which is the pitch that's been hit the hardest in your time in the big leagues. Keep racking up whiffs with that slider and curveball, and you'll have people talking about the ol' Cleveland Pitching Factory again. Have you seen my on-base streak? — Chase D. Hey, how did you sneak in here? I said we weren't talking about this. Yes, you have reached base in all 32 of your games at Triple-A Columbus this season. Let's see whether you can get to 50. (Or, maybe you'll join the Guardians in Chicago on Thursday for a four-game series against all right-handed starters.) (Top photo of José Ramírez: Thomas Shea / Imagn Images)
