Cook was placed on the 7-day injured list Monday due to a right intercostal strain, per MLB.com.
Through 12.1 innings for Triple-A Durham before getting injured, the 25-year-old right-hander posted a 5.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB. Cook's timetable for a return to the mound is unclear, but he could end up missing multiple weeks before being cleared.
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Rays' Alex Cook: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
The Rays optioned Cook to minor-league camp Sunday.
The 24-year-old was added to Tampa Bay's 40-man roster in November but was always a longshot to crack the Opening Day roster. Cook missed some time in 2025 due to injuries but pitched well for Double-A Montgomery when available, finishing with a 2.30 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB over 15.2 innings.
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Rays' Alex Cook: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
Rotowire
The Rays selected Cook's contract from Double-A Montgomery on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Cook came to the Rays as a 12th-round selection in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. The right-hander has worked mostly as a reliever in the minors, and he turned in a nice 18:3 K:BB over 15.2 innings while posting a 2.30 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across 13 appearances in his first taste of Double-A ball last season. Cook dealt with some injuries last year, but if he can stay healthy and continue to impress next season, he should get a chance to move up to the Triple-A level.
