Alex Cobb set to have season-ending surgery on hip

Alex Cobb’s injury-plagued journey to try to be a part of the 2019 Orioles rotation is over. Before Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays, GM Mike Elias announced that Cobb will be having surgery that’s meant to relieve a hip impingement. Elias also told reporters that there are some knee issues that could be cleaned up as well.

Cobb has been out for long enough that this probably doesn’t have a whole lot of impact on the team’s 2019 plans for the rotation. He went on the 10-day injured list for the third time in late April with what was at that time called a lumbar strain, and eventually in late May was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Now, we know that he won’t be back.

Addressing the news about the surgery, Elias told O’s reporters that his primary concern with Cobb, as well as the returning Mark Trumbo, is to have them be able to help the Orioles, rather than to be used as trade pieces.

Unfortunately, this injury in the second year of Cobb’s four-year contract is just one more piece of evidence for the pile that Dan Duquette was incapable of making a good starting pitching signing.

Thus far, Cobb has posted a 5.36 ERA and 5.32 FIP in 31 starts for the team, and he won’t be making any more starts for the rest of the season. Hopefully, the surgery means that he will be able to be ready to go for the start of 2020 spring training, where he could plug in to the veteran spot in the rotation currently being occupied by Andrew Cashner.