The Cleveland Guardians have been without starting pitcher Alex Cobb since he made his last start with the team on August 14.
He suffered a fractured fingernail that day and was placed on the injured list.
The team hoped it wouldn’t take him much more than the minimum 15 days on the list to return, but these injuries can be tricky.
The best-case scenario appears to have occurred, though, as Cobb is ready to return from the shelf to start this weekend.
Guardians insider Paul Hoynes has more details.
“Alex Cobb expected to start Sunday,” he posted on X.
Alex Cobb expected to start Sunday.
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) August 30, 2024
The Guardians don’t really have too many healthy pitchers who can offer some semblance of consistency at the moment.
Cobb has only made a handful of starts for them, but even with his injury-related questions, he carries that potential.
On that August 14 start, Cobb was masterful for 5.2 innings, surrendering just three hits and a run.
He made his season debut for the Guardians (after being acquired via trade from the San Francisco Giants) on August 9 and was predictably rusty that day.
Before that, he took several months to recover from hip, shoulder and blister issues, some of which required surgery.
He might be 36 years old, but he has what it takes to help the Guardians and his career 3.86 ERA proves it.
After being relatively quiet in the days leading up to the trade deadline, Cleveland certainly hopes Cobb can stay healthy and show his full potential.
Much of the future of the Guardians in 2024 depends on Cobb’s health and effectiveness.
NEXT: Guardians Top Prospect Receives Disappointing Injury News
