Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Cobb has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow and may need season-ending surgery.
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Cobb May Need Surgery
Tuesday, May 5
Yahoo! Sports passed along the details of the injury:
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times noted Tuesday that Cobb’s season is “very much in jeopardy.”
Topkin also reported that an MRI revealed the partial tear in the ligament, although Cobb will attempt to pitch with the injury after a program of rest and treatment. However, if that doesn’t work, he may need Tommy John surgery and could miss the rest of the 2015 campaign and most or even all of the 2016 season.
It is certainly a high-risk, high-reward play, and Rays fans will be holding their breath.
Cobb has not pitched a single inning this year because of a forearm injury, which is a difficult blow for a Tampa Bay squad that planned on using him as an ace.
ESPN.com noted that the Rays canceled his throwing session on Sunday, according to manager Kevin Cash: “He just didn’t feel as good as he was hoping. Any time you’re dealing with a pitcher’s arm, it’s obviously concerning.”
Cobb started 27 games last season and finished with a 2.87 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
The hope was that the 27-year-old would take yet another jump this season and become one of the best pitchers in the American League for years to come. Now there is concern that he may never be the same.
Tommy John surgery is a scary proposition for pitchers, and it could impact him moving forward for the rest of his career. He is only 27 years old, but if he needs surgery, he could be looking at the 2017 season as the next time he takes the mound.
That would mean multiple years off (and multiple years of aging and accumulated rust), and his status as an ace in the American League East would be in serious jeopardy.
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