Cobb expects to make next start on Tuesday
Initially slated to pitch Friday, righty dealing with crack in right middle fingernail
MIAMI -- Alex Cobb told reporters Thursday that he will make his next start Tuesday against the Tigers in Detroit.
Originally, the right-hander had been scheduled to start Friday night in Cleveland, but the Rays moved him back in the rotation due to a crack in the fingernail of his right middle finger.
Cobb can still throw fastballs without irritating the affected area, so he can continue to throw. The problem has come when he's thrown his curveball and changeup. In Sunday's start against the Yankees, the area began to bleed for the first time, which raised a red flag.
"I just think the offspeed pitches, both of them, come off that finger," Cobb said. "And I've been throwing a fair amount of those recently. I got a little crack there and kept throwing. And some of the rosin and stuff I use gets in there and dries it out and doesn't allow it to heal back up properly. That kind of prolonged it throughout the week.
"I've had it for a couple of starts and been able to pitch through it. But this time, I'm not able to throw my curveball with it, and that's when the red flag came up a little bit. I've been able to pitch through the pain a little bit, but now we don't want it to linger any longer. We just want to get through it."
Even though Cobb said he's been told he'll start Tuesday, he allowed that he would know more after he throws his next bullpen session.
"Hopefully, I'd be able to throw it Saturday," Cobb said. "If I can throw my offspeed pitches, I'll do that. I just don't want to aggravate it right now. I just want to let it heal and make sure it is ready for that. The precaution here is to make sure it doesn't linger through four, five, six starts. Just beat it now and hopefully put it in the past once I'm able to pitch again."
Included in the collateral damage from Cobb's situation was Matt Moore being moved back a day. Rather than start Thursday in Miami, Moore will start Friday in Cleveland. Cobb teased that it might take a while for Moore to forgive him for taking the bat out of his hands Thursday night. Moore would have hit against the Marlins in the National League park had he started Thursday night.
"I'm going to hear about it all year for sure," Cobb said. "I didn't expect the trickle-down effect of him not being able to hit. That wasn't part of the plan."