Zack Cozart carried off field with scary looking knee injury
Despite defeating the Philadelphia Philies 5-2 Wednesday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, the Cincinnati Reds got quite a scare when their first batter of the game, shortstop Zack Cozart, was carried off the field with a right knee injury.
Cozart hit the third pitch from Phillies starter Jerome Williams to the hole at shortstop, where his counterpart Cesar Hernandez fielded the ball and made the long throw to first to nab him by a step. Cozart took one last long stride in his attempt to beat the throw, but his right foot appeared to slip off the bag causing his right leg to twist awkwardly. Cozart immediately grabbed his right knee below the kneecap and was unquestionably in a significant amount of pain.
It was somewhat reminiscent of Manny Machado’s knee injury at the end of the 2013 season. You hate to speculate, but that’s the visual it triggered.
Cozart was attended to by Reds athletic trainers Paul Lessard and Steve Baumann. After a short examination on the field, Cozart put his arms around their shoulders and was helped to the Reds clubhouse.
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According to Reds manager Bryan Price, the team is now awaiting results of an MRI. He did confirm that Cozart is expected to head to the disabled list, which unfortunately based on the scene was a foregone conclusion.
“He had an MRI, we’re waiting for the results and Dr. (Timothy) Kremcheck is in transit. He’ll be here later this evening. He’ll review the MRI and let us know,” Price said after the game. “I think it’s safe to say he’ll be on the DL, I think that’s pretty reasonable. The extent of the injury is pending.”
The Reds are a beat up team right now. Second baseman Brandon Phillips left Tuesday’s game with a groin injury, while center fielder Billy Hamilton has been held out of two straight games with a wrist injury. The team is also with Marlon Byrd, who fractured his wrist on a hit-by-pitch, and catcher Devin Mesocaro, who’s dealing with a hip issue. Unfortunately, it would appear Cozart’s absence will on the more significant side, which Price acknowledged will be a blow.
“It’s heartbreaking, is what it is, to see him carried off the field,” Price said. “Certainly we all want to see him continue to have a phenomenal year and be a big part of our team’s success. He’s just a guy who has invested so much in being really good this year. You look back at last year with the slow start and struggles he had — to look at what he’s doing this year with the power and hitting the ball to all fields, while playing Gold Glove defense. It’s a collective sadness that he’s going to miss some time. It looks pretty certain he’ll miss some time.”
Cozart is hitting .258/.310/.409 with nine home runs and 28 RBI so far this season. He’s probably not an All-Star candidate, but he’s a solid major league whom the Reds will miss having in the lineup.
In the meantime, Price will search for replacements from within, Kristopher Negron and minor leaguer Eugenio Suarez as the best options available. The drop off is steep, and the Reds have little wiggle room at 27-31 in the loaded NL Central.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
