AJ Hinch all but reveals Tigers threw $15 million in the trash with Alex Cobb update

The final month of the MLB regular season is approaching, and we still have yet to see Alex Cobb throw a single pitch in a Detroit Tigers uniform. At this rate, we may never see it.

Cobb, who will turn 38 in October, signed with the Tigers this past offseason on a one-year, $15 million free agent deal. After discovering inflammation in both his left and right hips during spring training, however, he has been on the injured list since March with no timeline for his return despite two separate rehab assignments.

According to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Tuesday on MLB Radio that Cobb was being pulled off his rehab assignment and being shut down for a week.

"This allows the club to reset the assignment for another 30 days, but obviously a decision will have to be made before that," McCosky wrote. "Time is about up."

Tigers all but confirm they threw $15 million in the garbage with Alex Cobb update

There are no reports that Cobb has experienced a setback with his hip injuries. Rather, McCosky suggested that this could be a way for the Tigers to buy some time and delay a decision on activating the right-hander from the 60-day injured list since his 30-day rehab window was about to run out.

The Tigers are considering Cobb for a multi-inning relief role if he does make it back to the Majors in 2025, but the fact that they shut him down for a week seems to indicate, at best, that he needs one more rehab start. At worst, it could mean that his Tigers career is over before it even began.

Cobb's first attempt at a comeback didn't go well. He made three minor league rehab starts from late May to mid-June but had to be pulled off the assignment due to renewed soreness in both hips. Cobb has made six rehab appearances since re-starting his minor league rehab assignment last month, posting a 2.03 ERA and 17:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 13 1/3 innings.

The Tigers will continue to monitor Cobb, but it's a challenge for any MLB pitcher who hasn't thrown in nearly a year to make a return this late in the season. Even if he does, it remains to be seen how effective he can be. At this rate, it's probably safest for the Tigers to chalk this one up to a $15 million waste of time.

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