Tigers Injury Update: Unexpected Javy Baez timetable, new signing already sidelined

Alex Cobb certainly didn't feel like the Starter That Was Promised when the Tigers signed him to a one-year, $15 million deal toward the beginning of the offseason. Cobb was good when he was able to pitch last year, but he only made three starts for the Guardians after coming back from hip surgery and shoulder inflammation, only to go back onto the IL on Sept. 9.

If fans weren't already down on this signing, it got even worse when Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported that Cobb had actually been considering retirement before the Tigers scraped the bottom of the barrel to get him back into the game.

Cobb has occasionally shown flashes of brilliance — in his third and last start of 2024, he took a perfect game into the seventh inning (although it was against the Pirates) — but the guy just hasn't been able to stay healthy.

No one needed any more excuses to pile on the criticism, but Cobb and the Tigers gave fans one on Wednesday when it was announced the right-hander was dealing with hip inflammation. Petzold followed up to report that he wouldn't be ready by Opening Day. We're off to a great start already.

Detroit Tigers injury updates: Javy Báez expected to be ready by Opening Day, Alex Cobb already out

On the flip side, the Tigers also delivered some good news about Javy Báez (well, good for Báez, not so much for fans), who was sidelined in late August and missed the postseason with lumbar spine and hip inflammation; he underwent surgery for the latter soon after being moved to the IL. The Tigers' injury update reported that he would be ready by Opening Day despite previous speculation suggesting he could miss a few months. Hooray.

Báez is currently expected to platoon at shortstop with rookie Trey Sweeney, which is an objectively terrible position for the Tigers to be in, given that they're paying Báez $25 million this season to do what's ostensibly a part-time job. Everyone knows, though, that the Tigers are never going to just release him, and no one in their right mind would take on his contract.

So here we are. Tigers pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, with the full squad to follow next Monday, and we've already got a overpriced starter set to start the season on the IL and one of the most hated players in the team's history raring to go. Not exactly the start fans envisioned.