The Detroit Tigers are still waiting for Alex Cobb to throw a single pitch in their uniform. On Tuesday, that wait got even longer. Manager A.J. Hinch confirmed that the 37-year-old right-hander has been pulled off his rehab assignment and shut down for seven days—resetting the clock but raising the question no one wants to say out loud: will Cobb ever actually pitch for Detroit?
A $15 Million Ghost Season
Cobb’s story has been less of a comeback and more of a vanishing act. Signed last December to a one-year, $15 million deal, he was brought in to stabilize the rotation with veteran innings. Instead, the Tigers have gotten nothing but medical updates. Hip issues sidelined him in spring training, and every attempt at a rehab assignment has ended the same way: soreness, shutdown, and another restart.
This latest move follows MLB rules—pitchers have a 30-day rehab window, and when it expires, they must either be reinstated or stopped for a week before beginning again. Cobb’s clock started on July 29, meaning Detroit was out of time. By hitting pause, the Tigers technically give him another chance. But practically? This looks like a reset button pushed more for paperwork than optimism.
Even Hinch, who publicly remains patient, hinted at the fragility of the plan. “We know what he has to accomplish to be one of the best 13 pitchers we have,” Hinch told reporters. “We’re just going to continue to evaluate.”
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.
The Tigers Don’t Have Time for Sentiment
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Tigers are leading the AL Central, but their margin for error in the playoff picture is razor-thin. A first-round bye could hinge on just a handful of games. Cobb may be a respected veteran, but no one in Detroit can justify handing him innings if his hips can’t recover from throwing 40 pitches in Toledo.
And here’s where it gets tricky: Cobb pitched decently in his limited rehab outings. Across nine appearances at High-A West Michigan and Triple-A Toledo, he posted a 1.83 ERA with 24 strikeouts in under 20 innings. His splitter even generated a whiff rate close to 28%, a sign the pitch still has bite. The problem isn’t his stuff—it’s his durability. He hasn’t bounced back well enough to convince the Tigers he belongs on the playoff roster.
The irony is cruel. Cobb was on the verge of retirement last winter before Detroit convinced him to give it one more run. Instead of writing a late-career redemption arc, his season reads like a sad epilogue. With only 33 days left until the regular-season finale, he’s running out of calendar, and the Tigers are running out of patience.
Detroit didn’t sign Cobb for nostalgia. They signed him to win. And unless he proves he can recover like a big-league arm should, Hinch and the front office won’t waste postseason roster spots on sentiment.
For now, Cobb rests. In a week, the Tigers will restart his rehab, and maybe he will get another crack at Triple-A. Maybe his hips cooperate. Perhaps this isn’t the end. But even the optimists around Comerica Park know the truth: Cobb’s path to contributing in 2025 has narrowed to the thread’s width.
The Tigers have survived this long without him. They’ve built a rotation that doesn’t need him. And if the Tigers make a deep October run, they’ll rely on the arms available now—not the one stuck in limbo all season.
Alex Cobb came to Detroit for one last ride. Right now, it feels like the ride never left the garage.
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