Alex Cobb has partial UCL tear in elbow

After reports of forearm tendinitis that shut down the Rays ace on St. Patrick's Day this Spring, and after some morning speculation by beat writer Marc Topkin the news would be such, the Rays are confirming a partial elbow tear in Cobb's throwing arm.

And that sucks.

Have confirmed #Rays Cobb does have partial tear in elbow ligament as reported earlier, will try to pitch through it.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) May 5, 2015

The Tampa Bay Times has learned and confirmed that a new more detailed MRI revealed a partial tear in his elbow ligament. After a program of rest and treatment Cobb will try to pitch with the injury, and if that doesn't work he faces Tommy John surgery and could miss not only the rest of this season but most and possibly all of 2016.

The clock is ticking on choosing surgery, which would likely keep Cobb away until - at the earliest - something like September 2016, as Topkin says above.

Cobb's last year of team control will be 2017.