Alex Cobb’s unique split-changeup used to be his signature pitch, but since returning from Tommy John surgery, he’s constantly battled with finding the feel for his top swing-and-miss offering.
In preparing for this season – building his innings with three simulated games and one extended spring training game in Sarasota – Cobb felt as though he was getting the pitch back. It was one of the reasons Cobb was adamant about using major league baseballs in his preparation for the season, and even though he wasn’t facing major league competition, he believed the movement was there and went into his first start with the Orioles eager to see whether that optimism was real.