SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Alex Cobb had an ordinary day on the mound, and that¡¯s exactly what he was looking for on Monday.

He threw his first live batting practice since undergoing hip surgery on Oct. 31 -- and about 32 pitches later, he felt tired, but normal.

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¡°I feel like my mind isn¡¯t on my hip anymore,¡± Cobb said prior to the Giants¡¯ 12-9 win over the Royals at Surprise Stadium on Monday. ¡°The arm felt good, [velocity] was good, so overall I think it was a good day.¡±

The 36-year-old underwent hip surgery for the second time in his career to address labrum and ongoing impingement issues. He was originally anticipated to be sidelined for six months, but might make an appearance in a Cactus League game soon due to how well he¡¯s recovering.

¡°It¡¯s been unbelievable to watch him throw, and now it¡¯s going to be live,¡± Giants manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s game ready, it¡¯s pretty remarkable.¡±

With Cobb progressing quicker than expected, San Francisco could feel less of a need to pursue another free-agent starter such as Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery. Mason Black, the club¡¯s No. 8 prospect, is a strong candidate to fill in for the injured Tristan Beck at the back end of the rotation, and the Giants are also optimistic Keaton Winn will be ready by Opening Day after being set back by a bout of right elbow inflammation earlier this spring.

Cobb underwent a similar procedure for his right hip in 2019 during his tenure with the Orioles. He recovered in time for Spring Training in ¡®20, but did not get to fully try out his new hip that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar issues resurfaced in the second half of the 2023 season, and while he spent the first month of the offseason rehabbing and trying out other treatments, Cobb sought out a second opinion from Dr. Marc Philippon, in Vail, Colo.

Soon after, the All-Star right-hander underwent the procedure.

Having gone through the process before, Melvin and the rest of the staff are not worried about Cobb pushing himself too hard.

¡°With what he¡¯s been through in his career, he¡¯s aware of what¡¯s going on with his body and how he feels,¡± Melvin said. ¡°I think that¡¯s a guy that as long as we feel he¡¯s hitting his markers and trainers are good with how he comes back after throwing, we¡¯re not that worried.¡±

Cobb shared that while he cannot compare how he will feel in the short term, it is nice to know that his hip will feel normal in the long term.

His rapid progression has left everyone in awe, particularly Melvin, who is eager for the veteran to return to the rotation as a leader for the young pitchers who are also making an impression.

¡°There¡¯s no end in sight here,¡± Melvin said. ¡°I think he feels that there is a lot of value in that too. So all those things, I think, are inspiring him to pitch at a very high level again, and for who knows how long.¡±

Webb¡¯s day
Logan Webb¡¯s frustration with his Spring Training performance continued after giving up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings in his fourth Cactus League appearance on Monday. The rough outing pushed his spring ERA to 10.03 over 11 2/3 innings -- not exactly the start he was hoping for this year.

¡°Pitching out of situations and leveraging counts, that whole thing hasn¡¯t been very good all spring,¡± Webb said. ¡°It¡¯s been tough, but I feel healthy ¡­ that¡¯s the number one thing, and then I got to be better.¡±

Melvin said he¡¯s not overly concerned about Webb¡¯s results thus far, noting that the Giants¡¯ ace still managed to build up to 70 pitches, which was the primary goal on Monday.

¡°He¡¯s not as sharp as he normally is, obviously,¡± Melvin said. ¡°Get them out of the way now.¡±

Jefferies grows into role
In his third Cactus League appearance, Daulton Jefferies continued to make a case for a spot on the pitching staff, striking out three batters and giving up just two hits and one run (unearned) over three innings.

¡°We¡¯re trying to increase him to whatever role it is we see for him,¡± Melvin said. ¡°He¡¯s been a starter in the past, he could be one of the bridge guys as well. Good fastball-change [combination], working on a little bit of a breaking ball, which he threw a little bit more today.¡±

Schmitt, Villar blast back-to-back homers
Casey Schmitt hit his first Spring Training home run off a 2-0 pitch from the Royals¡¯ Angel Zerpa in the second inning.

David Villar followed suit and crushed his first spring homer off a 1-2 pitch to give the Giants a 2-1 lead moments later. The first baseman finished his day 2-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk.