Rays P Alex Cobb hit in head by ball, suffers concussion

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Cobb has been out since June 15, when he was struck on the side of the head by a line drive. Since then, he has been dealing with concussion symptoms and vertigo. However, a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand that has caused a setback in his return.

The Rays originally sent Cobb on a rehab assignment on July 23, but his outing was cut short due to the blister. He tried a number of remedies to fix the ailment, but could not throw without a protective covering on the blister until Wednesday.

Cobb said he still isn’t “extremely close” to returning to the Rays’ rotation, but is progressing quicker than originally anticipated. Initially, Cobb was expected to begin playing catch on July 5, not pitching. Despite his recovery going better than expected, he still does not have a time frame for a return.

He is still experiencing bouts of vertigo which will have to fully leave before he can pitch in a game. He said he wasn’t sure when vertigo and other ailments would subside:

Manager Joe Maddon made sure to emphasize that Cobb is “doing really well” and that there isn’t “a high level of concern” about his making a full recovery from his concussion, but that these kind of things require a lot of time and patience.

Now in his second full season as a member of the Rays’ starting rotation, Cobb owns a 3.01 ERA and 3.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 83⅔ innings over his first 13 starts.

Cobb will not travel with the Rays on their upcoming seven-game road trip, and will need to pass concussion tests before he can resume throwing.

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UPDATE: The Rays say Cobb suffered a mild concussion and that all test came back normal.

In 13 starts with the Rays, Cobb has compiled a 6-2 record with a 3.01 earned run average and 76 strikeouts.