Giants manager Gabe Kapler announced Tuesday that Cobb (knee) will start the second game of the regular season, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Clearly that knee contusion that Cobb suffered Saturday in a Cactus League start against the Dodgers is not going to be a lingering issue. The veteran right-hander pitched to a 3.73 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 151:43 K:BB over 149.2 innings (28 starts) for San Francisco last season.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Bullpen session on tap
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Cobb (knee) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
The side session should provide the Giants with a good gauge for how Cobb's left knee is feeling two days after it was struck by a line drive during his Cactus League start versus the Dodgers. Cobb was diagnosed with a bruise after follow-up tests ruled out any structural damage to the knee, so the right-hander looks as though he could be on track to return to the Giants' spring pitching schedule without having to miss a start. The team will offer an update on his next steps once he completes the bullpen session.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Diagnosed with knee contusion
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Cobb was diagnosed with a left knee contusion after leaving Saturday's Cactus League start against the Dodgers and is hopeful to make his next scheduled start, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Cobb was hit in the knee with a line drive during the outing, and while he looked to be in significant pain, the right-hander's tests came back negative. The Giants will want to make sure the 35-year-old is healthy before he gets back on the mound, but there's a very good chance that Cobb will be ready for the beginning of the season.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Hit in leg by line drive
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Cobb was hit in the leg by a line drive in his start Saturday against the Dodgers, but he was able to walk off the field under his own power, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Cobb struck out five while allowing one run on two hits and no walks in three innings of work before his day was ended by a Miguel Vargas liner. He stayed down in pain initially, but the fact that he was able to walk off the field means he might not miss much (if any) time.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Changing pitch mix
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Cobb is working on incorporating a cutter and a slider into his pitch mix, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Cobb is also going to call his own games this season using the PitchCom system. The righty was solid last year with a 3.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 149.2 innings across 28 starts, and he racked up a career-high 151 strikeouts. Cobb will still likely lean on his splitter and sinker, which accounted for a combined 84.5 percent of his pitches last season, per Statcast. He projects as a mid-rotation option for the Giants in 2023.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Tough-luck loser
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Cobb (7-8) took the loss during Tuesday's 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Padres, allowing one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts in five innings.
Cobb kept San Diego in check aside from one run on two hits in the third inning and departed with the game at a manageable 1-0 deficit; however, the bullpen surrendered four runs in the sixth to cement his second loss in three starts. The 34-year-old induced an impressive 16 swinging strikes on just 73 pitches to post his 11th start with at least seven strikeouts, easily surpassing his previous career high of seven such starts set in 2013. He finishes the season with a 3.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 151 strikeouts in 149.2 innings across 28 starts.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Moving up to start Tuesday
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Cobb will start Tuesday's game against the Padres instead of Wednesday as previously scheduled, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The 34-year-old lined up to start Wednesday's series finale but will be pushed up a day with Carlos Rodon having his final turn through the rotation skipped for workload management. Cobb made his previous start Friday, so he could have reduced workload Tuesday while pitching on three days rest.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Grabs seventh win
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Cobb (7-7) allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Cobb wasn't at his sharpest Friday, but he made it through five frames with enough run support to earn his first win in three starts. He's given up 11 runs over his last 15.1 innings. The right-hander now has a 3.79 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 144:43 K:BB through 144.2 innings across 27 starts this season. Cobb is projected for one more start in 2022, a road outing in San Diego next week.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Sleeper pitchers for Week 26 (Sept. 26-Oct. 5)
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Cobb's turnaround after missing time with a neck strain in June has been underappreciated. He has a 2.91 ERA in 18 starts since. The Rockies on the road make for a great matchup, and the Padres lately haven't been so tough either.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Surrenders five runs in loss
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Cobb (6-7) took the loss during Saturday's 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Diamondbacks, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
Cobb permitted just one baserunner through three innings before falling apart in the fourth, surrendering all five runs on six baserunners to fall in line for his first loss since Aug. 3. The 34-year-old has now logged two poor starts, two excellent ones and one mediocre turn through five September starts with the numbers culminating to a 3.14 ERA across 28.2 innings. Cobb carries a 3.67 ERA and 1.27 WHIP into a rematch with Arizona next weekend.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Sleeper pitchers for Week 25 (Sept. 19-25)
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Cobb's matchup against the Diamondbacks this week is middle of the road, but he just shut out the Braves over seven innings and has been on quite a roll since recovering from a neck strain in July, compiling a 2.55 ERA across 16 starts.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Decent in no-decision
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Cobb allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Sunday.
Cobb allowed an RBI double to Justin Turner in the fourth inning and an RBI single to Freddie Freeman in the sixth. It was the just second time in five starts that Cobb's allowed runs to score, with both of those instances coming against the Dodgers. The right-hander has been quietly effective with a 3.48 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 136:40 K:BB through 134.2 innings across 25 starts this season. He'll look to get back in the win column next week in a projected road start versus Arizona.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Completes seven shutout frames
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Cobb (6-6) earned the win over Atlanta on Monday, allowing six hits and striking out seven batters over seven scoreless innings.
Cobb scattered six singles in the victory and didn't walk any batters for just the second time in his past 10 starts. The right-hander allowed only two runners to reach second base, and none made it to third. He racked up 18 swinging strikes in the outing and fanned exactly seven batters for the third time in his past four starts. Cobb started the season poorly, posting a 6.25 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over his first seven games, but he has been much better since then, registering a 2.59 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 94:28 K:BB across 17 contests. Remarkably, Cobb's victory Monday was only his third over the impressive 17-game span.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Struggles at Dodger Stadium
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Cobb did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks over 4.1 innings against the Dodgers. He struck out four.
Cobb surrendered a three-run homer to Justin Turner with nobody out in the fifth to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead, though the Giants came back to get Cobb off the hook for the loss. This was only the fourth home run allowed by the 34-year-old in 80.2 innings during his last 14 starts. The righty is drastically better at home with a 2.57 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 70 innings compared to a 5.16 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 52.1 innings away from San Francisco.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Twirls gem against Phillies
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Cobb (5-6) earned the win Friday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings in a 13-1 victory over Philadelphia. He struck out seven.
The Giants got to Kyle Gibson early and Cobb cruised from there en route to his fifth win. Cobb now sits with a 2.83 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 in eight starts since the All-Star break (47.2 innings), and the underlying numbers suggest there may be even more improvement coming to his ERA. Cobb's 2.85 FIP this season would rank seventh in all of baseball if he had enough innings to qualify.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Strikes out seven in no-decision
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Cobb allowed four hits and two walks while striking out seven over five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Twins on Saturday.
Cobb needed 99 pitches (64 strikes) to complete five frames, but it was an otherwise effective start. He was in line for the win until the Twins got a pair of run-scoring, two-out hits in the bottom of the ninth off closer Camilo Doval. Cobb hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last six starts, but he has just one win in that span. For the season, the right-hander has a 3.81 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 115:33 K:BB through 111 innings across 21 starts. He's tentatively lined up for a home start versus the Phillies next week.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Quality start in no-decision
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Cobb didn't factor into the decision during Saturday's 4-3 loss to Colorado, allowing three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Cobb surrendered two runs on four hits in the third inning and an additional run on two hits in the seventh before being removed. The 34-year-old fired 61 of 87 pitches for strikes but induced only four whiffs in recording his lowest strikeout tally since July 6 with three. Cobb has submitted quality starts in four of his last five turns, pitching to a 3.30 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 30 innings during the stretch. He carries a 3.99 ERA into his next start, scheduled for next weekend in Minnesota.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Snaps winless streak Monday
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Cobb (4-6) earned the win over Arizona on Monday, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out five batters over six innings.
Cobb breezed through five scoreless innings without giving up an extra-base hit. He was tagged for a solo homer by Christian Walker in the sixth but finished the frame without allowing any additional damage. Cobb began the campaign with three wins over his first six starts but then went 12 straight appearances without a victory before getting off the schneid Monday. Despite the difficulties moving into the win column, Cobb has been effective since returning from a stint on the injured list June 19, posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 58:19 K:BB over 61.2 innings.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Strikes out seven in no-decision
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Cobb allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven in five-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Tuesday.
Cobb gave up Juan Soto's first home run as a Padre in the fourth inning. In the sixth, Cobb put three straight batters on base and was charged with two runs in the frame as reliever Yunior Marte let an inherited runner score. This was a setback for Cobb, who had completed at least six innings in five of his last six starts. The right-hander owns a 4.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 100:28 K:BB across 93.1 innings through 18 outings this year. He's projected for a home start versus the Diamondbacks next week in the first of a likely two-step.
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Giants' Alex Cobb: Takes loss Wednesday
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Cobb (3-6) was tagged with the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, pitching 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight batters.
Cobb notched his fifth quality start over his past six games, but he hasn't earned a single victory over that stretch. In fact, the right-hander has picked up three losses despite posting a solid 3.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across the six games, and he hasn't earned a win since mid-May. Cobb nonetheless has been productive of late in fantasy leagues -- especially those that don't count wins -- as he's racked up 25 strikeouts over his past 18 innings.
