Rays Place Alex Cobb on DL with Turf Toe, Recall Snell

The Tampa Bay Rays prior to Tuesday night’s game against Boston have placed Alex Cobb on the 10-day DL with turf toe and recalled Blake Snell from Durham.

Just when things were beginning to stabilize for the Tampa Bay Rays starting rotation with the return of Jake Odorizzi, they will now have to do it without Alex Cobb. Cobb has landed on the 10-day DL with a case of turf toe on his right big toe and expects to miss just one start.

Taking his place on the roster and in the rotation is Blake Snell, recalled from Durham less than a week from his most recent demotion. Snell will start on Thursday against the Indians looking for his first win on the season.

Cobb said that he could have pitched through the issue, but that after talking with the training staff and manager Kevin Cash it was best to take care of it now before it could worsen.

"“Kind of a lingering toe issue that I felt the last game,” Cobb said. “Talked to [head athletic trainer] Ron [Porterfield] and [manager Kevin] Cash and all those guys about it afterward, and monitored it. Saw that the next day it was still there a little bit and decided just to be smart with it. With the new 10-day [DL], it’s nice [to miss] only miss a start.”"

The sprain may involve damage to ligaments, tendons, or bone separately or in combination and usually affects football players more so than baseball players.

According to MedicineNet.com, turf toe is specifically a joint sprain of the big toe and is often the result of playing on artificial surfaces. Turf toe is a common injury to football players; do to the Astro Turf playing fields and usually occurs when any athlete repeatedly pushes off the toe.

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In his last start on Saturday against the Brewers, Alex Cobb took the loss despite a decent outing in which he allowed one run on five hits.

However, Cobb is not sure when the injury occurred but did say it has been lingering but only feeling it during his start against the Brewers.

In 23 starts, Cobb is 9-8 with a 3.80 ERA logging 147 innings, which is fourth in the AL. Cobb has allowed 11 stolen bases (7th most in the AL), but leads the AL in pick-offs with five.

Snell’s last start came on Thursday against Houston he picked up a no-decision in which he allowed three runs on seven hits in four innings of work. He was optioned to Durham the next day (Aug. 4).

Overall, this season Snell has started 14 games going 0-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 72.1 innings and will be given yet another opportunity to prove that he can pitch in the majors.

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During his prior demotion, Snell made seven starts going 5-0 with a 2.26 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 44 innings with Durham. Depending on the recovery of Cobb’s turf toe and Snell’s start on Thursday could likely determine Snell’s fate.