Latest Alex Cobb update signals Tigers will probably never see him pitch

At long last, Detroit Tigers right-hander Alex Cobb started his minor league rehab assignment Friday at High-A West Michigan.

The 37-year-old, who has been sidelined since early spring training with a hip injury, tossed a pair of scoreless innings on Friday in which he threw 24 pitches (16 strikes). But while the upshot of his outing was promising, the eye test delivered far more troublesome results.

"More than once during his 24-pitch, 16-strike outing, Cobb looked like he was fighting through hip discomfort, either wincing after a pitch or moving around uncomfortably," observed Jason Beck of MLB.com. "He limped around the mound after his second strikeout to begin the second inning, though he looked somewhat better after striking out his next batter."

Essentially, Cobb can still pitch effectively, but he can barely move around the mound. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement for his ability to join the Tigers soon (or ever).

Latest Alex Cobb update signals Tigers will probably never see him pitch

The Tigers signed Cobb to a one-year, $15 million contract as a free agent last December, despite the fact that he was contemplating retirement at the time due to the numerous injuries he had suffered in recent years. Cobb received a series of injections in his hip earlier this month, but his first minor league rehab start seemed to indicate that the lingering inflammation is still very much an issue.

“I don’t think he’s feeling great physically, other than his delivery and being able to execute pitches,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said (via Beck). “The stuff [Friday] was really good and he looked like he was under a lot of stress. I haven’t spoken to him directly, but the information coming back is that he’s still battling a lot. I applaud him for what he’s trying to do, because he’s pitching through a lot of discomfort, but we’re going to have to continue to nudge him forward or continue to give him some rest so that he can continue to pitch.”

Cobb can continue to pitch on a rehab assignment for up to 30 days. At some point, though, the Tigers will have to be honest with themselves and acknowledge that Cobb's ability to pitch effectively is of little use to them if he can't move well enough to field his position.

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