Alex Cobb's wait to return to the Rays rotation is nearly over.
After spending a year away from baseball to rehab his throwing arm post-Tommy John surgery, Cobb will make his first regular-season start since September 2014 on Friday or Saturday against the Blue Jays, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Cobb’s 2014 season (10-9, 2.87 ERA, 1.136 WHIP and 149:47 K:BB ratio over 166 1/3 innings) vaulted him to the top of the Rays’ rotation with 2015 in mind. Before the season started, though, discomfort in his forearm led doctors to a full UCL tear, an injury requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery.
The 28-year-old's two-month rehab assignment this summer didn't quite go as planned, as Cobb owned a 6.65 ERA over eight starts and suffered from arm fatigue. However, in his final start with Triple-A Durham, Cobb improved with four innings of one-run ball.
Cobb's weekend start will come at Tropicana Field, where he is 17-13 with a 3.08 ERA in his career.