• Detroit Tiger pitcher Alex Cobb has completed his first recovery since his right hip injury but is still feeling uncomfortable.
• Cobb made two innings in the strikeout for the High Michigan High-A but showed signs of pain during his outing.
• The Tiger is satisfied with Cobb's stadium but is concerned about his sport and his future game situation is uncertain.

Kansas City, Mo. - Detroit tiger right-hander Alex Cobb completed his first start of his rehabilitation mission Friday, May 30, and was with West Michigan High. The 37-year-old has been eliminated after a right hip injury since spring training.

This is his first game in 2025.

He looks unhealthy.

“I don’t think he feels physically well,” said manager AJ Hinch, who said less than 24 hours after an outing in Cobb on Saturday, May 31. "I haven't talked directly to him yet, but the message back is that he's still fighting a lot. I applauded what he was trying to do because he's going through a lot of discomfort."

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Cobb dropped two points-free situations on Friday, walking zero, strike out with only one hit percentage. He faces Dayton Dragon, a branch of the Cincinnati Reds. All three strikeouts ended with swings and turnovers, but on those courts he grimaced while finishing delivery and then slowly walked down the mound.

He hung down a few times and looked defeated.

But Cobb has been throwing the ball in pain, throwing 24 balls.

"We're going to have to keep pushing him forward or keep giving him some rest so he can keep pitching," Hinchi said. "It's been his problem to move around and we're going to keep pushing him and see what he can give us."

The tigers were confident in Cobb’s personal court, but they had no confidence in the way his body moved from the mound. At the start of Friday's recovery, his fastball averaged about 92.5 miles an hour, and he also used a separator and curveball.

"I think these things are good, and this is the trailer," Hinch said. "He could pitch on A ball last night and apply it to the major leagues and he would touch and miss it as soft as he always did."

The Tigers signed a one-year, $15 million contract in December 2024.

It is not clear whether Cobb has scheduled another rehabilitation start.

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Sawyer Gibson's long smile

Right-handed Sawyer Gipson-long is not active - at least not yet - but he showed up at Kauffman Stadium for a bullpen meeting in front of pitching coaches Chris Fetter, Robin Lund and Juan Nieves. The 27-year-old has completed five rehabilitation tasks, returning from surgery on his right elbow and left hip.

He said he felt good in the bullpen on Saturday.

The Tigers, however, are not sure about Gibson's next step. Although he didn't need to activate him until June 7, the Tigers opened on Tuesday against the White Sox.

Gipson-long appears to be ready to start against the Chicago White Sox Tigers on Tuesday, June 3 to replace injured Jackson Jobe.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @evanpetzold.

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