MLB notebook: Orioles' Cobb (groin) lands on IL

The Baltimore Orioles placed scheduled Opening Day starter Alex Cobb on the 10-day injured list with a strained right groin, the club announced Monday. Cobb departed his final spring training outing after one inning Saturday due to the injury. Fellow right-hander Andrew Cashner likely will draw the season-opening assignment for Baltimore on Thursday against the host New York Yankees. The Orioles hope Cobb will be healthy in time to start the team's home opener against the Yankees on April 4. --The Cleveland Indians can breathe a sigh of relief after All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez was confirmed to have only a knee contusion after fouling a pitch off his left knee Sunday. X-rays were negative for any fractures. Ramirez will stay in Goodyear, Ariz., for treatment while the Indians play their final exhibition games, then join the team in Minnesota for the season opener. Indians manager Terry Francona said Ramirez is day-to-day. --Los Angeles superstar outfielder Mike Trout admits that watching Manny Machado and Bryce Harper plod through free agency this offseason helped him decide to sign a mega-extension with the Angels, he told The Athletic. "I kind of saw what Bryce and Manny went through and it drew a red flag for me," Trout said. "I talked to Manny and Bryce. It was a tough couple months in the offseason. They put it (in) perspective in my mind. I obviously want to be an Angel for life. That was a big key." Trout, the two-time Most Valuable Player and seven-time All-Star, would have become a free agent after the 2020 season. Instead, he signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension. --In somewhat of a surprise move, the Miami Marlins released veteran starting pitcher Dan Straily just three days before the start of the regular season. The 30-year-old right-hander was expected to be the most experienced member of the young Marlins' rotation this season, and he had settled for a $5 million contract this season to avoid arbitration. But the team instead says it was impressed enough with the young arms this spring that it decided to go all-in with inexperienced but talented starters. In seven big-league seasons, Straily is 42-36 with a 4.23 ERA in 142 appearances (132 starts), with a career-best season in 2016 with the Reds (14-8, 3.76 ERA). --Right-handed relief pitcher Daniel Hudson, who appeared in 40 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced. The deal is for $1.5 million, according to multiple reports. Hudson, 32, was released Friday by the Los Angeles Angels. He had a 6.75 ERA in 6 2/3 innings in spring training this season. The Blue Jays moved second baseman Devon Travis (knee surgery) to the 60-day injured list to make room for Hudson on the 40-man roster. --Two days after being released by the Blue Jays, relief pitcher John Axford was re-signed by the team after having his prior minor league contract reworked, according to reports. Axford's initial release came on the heels of the right-hander being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his pitching elbow on Thursday. Axford, who turns 36 on April 1, was with Toronto for part of last season but was traded to the Dodgers in July. A 10-year veteran, Axford has pitched for eight teams and logged a 38-34 record with 144 saves and a 3.87 ERA. --Field Level Media