Guardians starting pitcher Alex Cobb was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a blister on his middle finger, which could affect Cleveland’s plans for the postseason.
Cobb, who joined the Guardians in a July trade from San Francisco, has recently been dealing with this blister issue. He had also been out with a broken nail on his index finger.
The team decided to make this move before starting a four-game series against Tampa Bay.
Manager Stephen Vogt, who played with Cobb on the Rays, mentioned that Cobb has had problems with blisters throughout his career. Although the blister has shown some improvement, Cobb still experiences pain while throwing.
Vogt explained, “We felt like it was time to put him on the IL and give him the 12 days with the back date to get this thing right while also protecting our pitching and getting another arm here for the bullpen.”
Cobb, aged 36, has a record of 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA in three starts for the Guardians, who lead the AL Central by 4 1/2 games over Kansas City. He recently had a perfect game going into the sixth inning against Pittsburgh.
“There’s no one more frustrated about this than Alex and he and the medical staff are doing everything they can to get it better, but it just needs to heal,” Vogt said. “A healthy Alex Cobb is what we’re wanting.”
Vogt has had to adjust his rotation all season due to injuries. The team acquired Cobb and signed Matthew Boyd to add depth and experience to their young pitching staff.
Cobb’s debut with Cleveland was delayed by blister problems he developed while preparing to pitch after a long break due to hip surgery in October.
To replace Cobb, the Guardians called up right-hander Andrew Walters from Triple-A Columbus.
Walters, a second-round pick in 2023, had a 4-0 record with a 2.32 ERA in 50 relief appearances for Double-A Akron and the Clippers.
