Alex Cobb Halts Pitching Program Due to Shoulder Discomfort
6:51 p.m.: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Cobb received a second cortisone shot in his shoulder, though that one was elsewhere. For Cobb, the second cortisone shot is the reason he is no longer throwing but he is feeling better and is hoping the second shot will work.
2:34pm: Alex Cobb It’s unclear this season, as the veteran righty’s recovery from October hip surgery resulted in him opening the season on the 15-day disabled list, then going on the 60-day IL on April 20. and hip labrum repair, however, some shoulder pain began to appear for Cobb as he continued to work in April.
Unfortunately, Cobb’s shoulder problems have continued, as Giants manager Bob Melvin told NBC Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic (links to X) and other reporters today. Because of this, Cobb’s pitching schedule has been put on hold, and it appears to be a lock that Cobb will remain in IL beyond his first proper opening day of May 27th.
An MRI on Cobb’s shoulder came back clean last month, so there’s clearly no structural problem even if his latest setback could lead to another set of tests. Cobb also received a cortisone shot to help manage the pain, but that treatment did not seem to solve the problem. Until more is known about the situation, it appears that Cobb and the Giants are playing a waiting game in the hope that rest and rehab will make Cobb’s shoulder feel better, so that he can finally start putting together his preparations for the start of his season.
The Giants originally signed Cobb to a two-year, $20MM deal after the 2021 season, and that contract became a three-year deal paying Cobb $28MM when San Francisco exercised the club’s option on his career last November, even after right hip surgery. Despite injury concerns, Cobb has pitched well enough (3.80 ERA over 301 innings) in 2022-23 to justify the front office’s decision to exercise that option, but naturally second-guessing is inevitable if Cobb now looks like he might miss out. at least part of the season.
Between the Cobb and San Francisco exchanges Robbie Ray this past winter, the Giants relied on veteran reinforcements in the rotation during the offseason — Cobb when he recovered, and Ray in August when his Tommy John rehab was over. Between the two and the signing of Blake Snell again Jordan HicksThe Giants hoped to have a deep stable of all-around pitching options Logan Webbhigh hopes Kyle Harrisonand a host of other young arms.
The results have been mixed so far, as the rotation has been very difficult. Webb, Harrison, and Hicks all looked sharp, while Snell, Keaton Winnagain Mason Black they all struggled mightily. Injuries have also been a factor, with Snell and Winn both on the 15-day IL but Snell is set to return. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is expected to work out next week, with Pavlovic thinking Wednesday is a likely day to schedule Snell behind Webb in the rotation.
Snell couldn’t get off to a bad start to his tenure, posting an 11.57 ERA in 11 2/3 innings and three starts before hitting the IL with an adductor strain. This came after Snell’s long-awaited free agency stint didn’t end until he signed a two-year, $62MM deal with San Francisco on March 19, and played some adjusted games in extended Spring Training before committing to his own. The first MLB game of the year is April 8.
However, Snell seems to have come into form during his minor league career. The southpaw’s minor league resume (one in A-ball, one in Triple-A) is nearly perfect, as Snell has thrown nine scoreless innings and just one walk, with 17 strikeouts. Hitting Snell as healthy as he is in 2023 would be a huge boost for the Giants pitching staff, and could help the team snap out of a 21-25 deficit from the start of the season.
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