LOS ANGELES — Alex Cobb, who leads Giants starters in ERA, FIP and wins, is hitting the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.
Cobb, 35, will be eligible to return on June 30 because his IL stint is retroactive to June 15. He was scheduled to start in Monday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park.
Cobb’s injured list status comes just one day after Alex Wood returned from the IL and made a terrific start in Dodger Stadium. Wood’s presence meant the Giants had four regular starting pitchers in the rotation after weeks with just Cobb, Logan Webb and Anthony DeSclafani. Now, San Francisco is back to three.
The Giants recalled Keaton Winn, a starting pitcher who had allowed one run in his last 12 Triple-A innings before his MLB debut last week. Winn gave up one run in four strong innings in St. Louis in front of several family members.
Losing Cobb, though, is a significant blow to the rotation. The veteran is having one of the best seasons of his career, sporting a 3.09 ERA in 14 starts. On April 24, he tossed his first complete game shutout in over a decade and is tied for the team lead with five wins.
Cobb’s 2.1 WAR is behind only Logan Webb among Giants pitchers.
In his last start, Cobb allowed two earned runs in four innings. He exited after 79 pitches, but neither he nor the team suggested he had gotten injured. The severity of his oblique strain is unclear.
Without Cobb, the Giants will have to continue running games without a traditional starter. They’ll have to do so without their favorite opener, as John Brebbia was diagnosed with a Grade 2 lat strain after his Saturday start.
Manager Gabe Kapler didn’t expound on who might become the best candidate to open games in Brebbia’s absence, but said the club has a number of options. Lefty Scott Alexander has some experience in the role, including one open this year.
Logan Webb is starting Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers, with a sweep on the line. Only two pitchers — Wood and Tristan Beck — took the ball in Saturday’s blowout win, giving the Giants a fresh bullpen.
San Francisco won six straight games and are 21-9 since May 15 — the best record in baseball in that stretch.
Starting rotation depth was one of the Giants’ perceived strengths heading into the season. With free agent signings Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling joining Webb, Cobb, Wood and DeSclafani — plus Jakob Junis as a swingman — the Giants were built to sustain injuries. But Stripling is injured and has struggled mightily and Manaea has only been effective as a bulk reliever.
Perhaps it could be getting close to time for top prospect Kyle Harrison, fresh off his deepest Triple-A start.
