HOUSTON -- Alex Cobb had a five-inning simulated game against Orioles Minor Leaguers on Wednesday in what should be one of his final steps before joining Baltimore's rotation.
Pitching at the club's Spring Training facility in Sarasota, Fla., Cobb allowed one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches. One of the hitters he faced was Mark Trumbo, who is working toward a return to the Major Leagues after spending the first week of the regular season on the disabled list with a right quad strain.
The next step for Cobb is a side session this weekend, at which time manager Buck Showalter and his staff will determine the next course of action for the right-hander.
"Friday or Saturday, we'll have an idea of what's going to happen with him," Showalter said before Wednesday's series finale in Houston.
Barring setbacks, Cobb could be ready to join the O's rotation as early as Monday.
Cobb's feedback will play a big role, along with organizational reports, in assessing the next move for the right-hander, who signed with the Orioles as a free agent late in Spring Training after spending the first six years of his big league career with the Rays.
Showalter trusts the veteran Cobb to properly communicate his progress.
"We'll kind of leave it up to Alex," Showalter said. "They know where they are."
If Cobb isn't ready to join the big league club for Monday's start, Showalter said Cobb would stay in Sarasota for another start.