Starting pitchers coming soon for Detroit Tigers? Injury updates: Alex Cobb, José Urquidy
The fifth spot in the rotation has been a combination of three pitchers over the past two months: Keider Montero, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Troy Melton.
It was supposed to be Alex Cobb, the 37-year-old right-hander who signed a one-year deal with the Tigers in the offseason.
He continues to occupy a spot on the injured list.
"It's been hard because I know how badly he wants to contribute to this team," manager A.J. Hinch said Friday, July 25. "He was signed in the offseason to help us in exactly these situations like we're going through right now, where we've had to mix and match our rotation."
THE PLAN: Big splash coming? Tigers expected to take conservative approach at trade deadline
The Tigers signed Cobb to a $15 million contract in December 2024. By February 2025, the 37-year-old had suffered a right hip injury, even before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. The 13-year MLB veteran has dealt with injuries to both hips throughout this season.
Cobb has received too many injections to count.
He still isn't healthy.
Cobb completed a bullpen session Thursday, July 24, in hopes of beginning another rehab assignment in the near future. He previously made a three-start rehab assignment in late May and early June, but he felt pain in every start, walked five batters across 6⅓ innings and had to be shut down.
"I'm not sure that he feels perfect," Hinch said. "I just passed him in the weight room when I was walking up here. He's always in great spirits, but there's always a little something that he's trying to navigate."
ROSTER MOVE: Tigers add reliever Geoff Hartlieb, cut Carlos Hernández after experiment is no-go
It sounds as though Cobb needs at least one more bullpen session before starting the second rehab assignment, but nobody knows the timetable for him to join the Tigers.
His health will determine his availability.
"We need to get him back on the mound again," Hinch said, "and keep pushing him until we get him to competition."
When healthy, Cobb has been an effective starting pitcher.
He owns a 3.75 ERA across 410⅔ innings in 77 starts over his past four MLB seasons, but he made just three regular-season starts in 2024 due to injuries.
"That's a big win, when and if he gets healthy," Hinch said.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Timeline for José Urquidy
Right-hander José Urquidy continues to recover from his second Tommy John surgery — the reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
The 30-year-old is rehabbing in Lakeland, Florida – home of the Tigers' spring training complex. The Tigers signed him to a one-year, $1 million contract with a $4 million club option for 2026.
"He's going great," Hinch said.
ROOKIE: Tigers prospect Troy Melton on MLB debut: 'You have to make pitches'
Urquidy completed his first bullpen session May 20, then his first live batting practice session Tuesday, July 22. He will complete his second live batting practice session Saturday, July 26, and he is getting close to a rehab assignment.
"Normally, it's one or two of these live BPs to get into competition," Hinch said. "When you're talking about coming back from surgery, it's got to be a little bit open-ended."
Expect Urquidy to begin a rehab assignment in early August.
After that, Urquidy could join the Tigers' starting rotation by late August.
"We're going to have baby watch with him," Hinch said. "He and his wife are having another baby. I think it's early next month. Hopefully, that coincides with the right timing of him getting into competition, and then we'll see how far we need to build him before we have to make decisions on him."
Celebrate 125 seasons of the Detroit Tigers!
When is Sawyer Gipson-Long's next rehab start?
Gipson-Long — a right-hander who was pulled off his rehab assignment recently after two rehab starts — is scheduled to complete a bullpen session Saturday. The 27-year-old has been sidelined with neck stiffness.
He will throw a couple of bullpen sessions before beginning another rehab assignment, possibly in early August.
"It shouldn't set him back too far from a volume standpoint," Hinch said, "but we need to clear any issues, so we'll get him off the mound this weekend. We'll probably do it maybe a couple of times before we get him out."
Gipson-Long hasn't pitched for the Tigers since June 27.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com 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 freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Cobb, Jose Urquidy could help Detroit Tigers as starting pitchers
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Luis Robert Jr. returns to White Sox lineup after missing 2 games because of adductor soreness
CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. is back in the lineup for the Chicago White Sox after missing two games because of adductor soreness. Robert was the designated hitter for Sunday's series finale against the crosstown Cubs, batting seventh. The center fielder wasn't part of the team's original lineup. 'The initial evaluation, he came in feeling better but still not in a spot where he could get out there in center field," manager Will Venable said. "We wanted to keep him plugged in and give him the opportunity to run around more, and he did. We talked about it, and he really talked his way into the lineup after that. We agreed that maybe center field wasn't the best thing for him but that we could utilize his bat and that he was good to go to DH. We ended up making the change.' With the rebuilding White Sox in last place in the AL Central, Robert could be on the move ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. After a miserable start to the season, he began the day with a nine-game hitting streak. 'He's going to go out there and compete and play the right way, and if he's not able to do that, we wouldn't have him out there," Venable said. "At the same time, I'm probably not going to ask him to steal third base. That's fair. But he's going to be out on a major league field and running around, not to the degree we're used to, but he'll be out there.' Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, entered with a .206 batting average, 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 84 games. Robert felt the injury when he stole second in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 11-9 victory at Tampa Bay. The White Sox were off on Thursday, and Robert rested during the first two games of the series against the Cubs. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Royals put Kris Bubic, Jac Caglianone on IL; newly acquired Randal Grichuk into starting lineup
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic on the 15-day injured list with a rotator cuff strain and outfielder Jac Caglianone on the 10-day IL with a strained left hamstring amid a series of moves before their series finale against Cleveland on Sunday. The Royals also welcomed outfielder Randal Grichuk, who was acquired on Saturday night in a deal that shipped reliever Andrew Hoffmann to Arizona, and recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha to help the bullpen. Bubic walked the first four batters he faced and only managed to last 2 2/3 innings against the Guardians on Saturday, when he started the second game of a split doubleheader. He needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning, and he wound up allowing four runs and three hits in his shortest start since Sept. 18, 2022, at Boston. 'He's getting some further testing and then we'll talk to the doc here and see what we got,' Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. Bubic said he's experienced some shoulder soreness for much of the season, but he's been able to pitch through it at a break-through level. Even with the rocky start Saturday, he has a 2.55 ERA — the fifth-best mark in the American League. 'I mean, you see how he's performed,' Quatraro said. 'Most pitchers when they go out there, they feel something almost every time. The severity of it and his ability to continue to deal with it has been manageable, by his own admission. ... And it's gotten to the point where, you know, he doesn't, and we don't feel like it's best for him to keep fighting through it.' The Royals rotation has suddenly thinned considerably. Left-hander Cole Ragans remains on the IL with a strained rotator cuff and is not expected back until late August, and right-hander Michael Lorenzen is progressing from his strained left oblique but may need to make a rehab start before he returns to the Royals sometime in August. The Royals already have had to plug one spot with 45-year-old Rich Hill, who pitched well in his debut for them this past week. Caglianone, the Royals' 22-year-old power-hitter, felt tightness in his hamstring while running down a double into the gap in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Then he felt the twinge again while running to first on a groundout later the inning. The timing of the injury could have been worse: The Royals had been working on a deal to land Grichuk, who nearly signed with them in the offseason but will now help them primarily against left-handed hitting for the rest of the season. 'You've seen our outfield had gotten very heavily left-handed. Something we thought we needed to add was a right-handed bat,' said Quatraro, whose team began the day 51-54 and 4 1/2 games back in the AL wild-card race. Grichuk was 0 for 2 on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, flying out in the second inning and the fourth, when he was told by the Diamondbacks that he had been traded. He hugged several teammates in the dugout and then headed out, catching a flight first thing Sunday so that he could be in Kansas City in time for the series finale against the Guardians. He was put in the starting lineup right away, batting sixth and playing right field. 'When they called they said, 'If you're willing to be here to play, you know, we want you in the starting lineup,'' Grichuk said, 'and yeah, I want to play. That's kind of my M.O. And so I said, 'Let's do it. We'll make it happen, even if it's crazy travel.'' The one hang-up was Grichuk's number: He's always worn 15 and that number was taken by backup catcher Luke Maile. But it turns out the two knew each other from their days together in Toronto, so a quick text message smoothed things out. Maile took No. 17 and gave his old buddy No. 15 — 'We'll work something out,' Grichuk said of potential compensation. 'It's pretty cool that he was able to give it to me,' Grichuk said. ___ AP MLB:
USA Today
21 minutes ago
- USA Today
Brent Rooker Player Props: July 27, Athletics vs. Astros
Brent Rooker is trying to improve on a one-hit performance in his last game (1 for 5 with a double and an RBI). His Athletics square off versus Colton Gordon and the Houston Astros on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. ET on SCHN and NBCS-CA. Find odds, stats, and more below to make your Brent Rooker player prop bets. Rooker is batting .272 with 24 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs and 47 walks. Among all hitters in MLB, Rooker's home run total ranks 18th and his RBI tally ranks 45th. Watch tonight's Athletics game on Fubo! Brent Rooker Prop Bets and Odds How to Watch Athletics vs. Houston Astros Brent Rooker vs. Colton Gordon Brent Rooker prop bet insights MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Sunday at 1:25 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Brent Rooker stats against the Astros Astros starter: Colton Gordon
