BALTIMORE — Free-agent acquisition Alex Cobb won’t be making his first start for the Orioles before April 14.
The right-hander completed a four-inning outing on 48 pitches in extended spring training on Friday and will complete five innings in his next start and build up to six frames before being recalled from Double-A Bowie. Cobb will be on the Baysox roster for that final six-inning outing, but he is not expected to pitch in an actual Eastern League game at this point.
Pitchers on minor-league rehab assignments are usually permitted to use a major league ball, but since Cobb was optioned to the minors and is not coming back from an injury, he would be required to use the minor-league ball that has raised seams. Some fear this could put strain on the pitcher’s arm, and it’s no secret that Cobb is only three years removed from Tommy John surgery.
“One of the problems you have is in a situation like this, they don’t let you use a major league baseball, which really doesn’t make much sense at all,” manager Buck Showalter said. “One, to have two different baseballs [between the majors and minors], and a lot of guys don’t want to throw the minor-league ball. I’m sure [Philadelphia is] going to have the same issue with Jake Arrieta in Clearwater.
“Alex will not throw that baseball, so if they make him throw it — and that’s where they’re going — then we’re going to come up with another plan. Crazy, isn’t it?”
That plan could mean him simply pitching in a simulated game involving Baysox hitters on April 9 before he would make his 2018 debut at Boston five days later. Showalter cautioned that the organization could decide to give him an extra day of rest at some point or adjust the current schedule if necessary.
Right-hander Mike Wright will indeed fill Cobb’s spot in the Baltimore rotation and will start against Houston on Tuesday. Showalter has elected to give Opening Day starter Dylan Bundy the benefit of an extra day of rest rather than moving him up in the five-man rotation because of the Friday off-day.
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Chris Tillman will start Monday’s game against the Astros while Bundy will pitch the finale of the three-game set on Wednesday afternoon.
Outfielder Mark Trumbo (right quadriceps strain) has begun to do some light hitting and will travel to Sarasota after Sunday’s finale against Minnesota. He will take full batting practice on Monday and is scheduled to play in an extended spring game on Friday.
Closer Zach Britton (Achilles tendon) will travel with the club on the upcoming road trip.
