Per Stacy Long, Rays pitching prospect Alex Cobb will miss the beginning of the season due to an oblique injury. The twenty-two year old right-hander was slated to move up to the AA Montgomery Biscuits after a successful 2009 season with the A+ Charlotte Stone Crabs. Cobb struck out 7.72 per nine innings while walking just 2.24 on his way to a 3.07 FIP. Cobb also induced 51.9% ground balls in 2009. He offers a low 90's fastball and a good curve ball. A change up serves as his third offering. Cobb has becoming a bit of a trendy sleeper possibly due to the resemblance of a poor man's Jeremy Hellickson. Tommy Rancel, RZ, and I participated in a prediction roundtable on raysprospects.com where two of the eight panelists selected Cobb as their 2010 upper level breakout player.
Other injury news in the minors features Desmond Jennings still recovering from his Spring Training wrist injury, and Jason Cromer who will miss the first month of the season with an elbow injury.
A few tidbits on former Rays' minor-leaguers:
-Bill Madden of the New York Daily News makes the case for former Durham Bull outfielder Jon Weber to overcome the odds and land a 25-man spot with the New York Yankees.
-Former Durham Bull MItch Talbot, acquired by Cleveland for catcher Kelly Shoppach has officially secured himself a spot in the Indians rotation. Congrats Mitch.
-First-baseman Rhyne Hughes, traded in 2009 for Gregg Zaun had a nice Spring for the Orioles but was optioned down to AAA. Zaun became a 2nd round pick when the Brewers signed the Type B free agent this off-season.
-Pitcher Josh Butler, then a low-level pitching prospect traded away in 2008 for Gabe Gross, was dealing with an elbow injury this Spring and will begin the season in AAA for the Brewers.
Former first-round pick of the Rays Wade Townsend was released by the Blue Jays. Congrats to the Rays and Matt Bush for outlasting the Jays in their non-trade swap of first-rounds busts. Let's hope Bush can turn into a feel-good story.
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