Reds shortstop playing through wrist pain

Zack Cozart in the midst of career year despite nagging injury

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart won’t start Sunday in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies. He entered the clubhouse at Great American Ball Park this morning with a black brace on his left wrist.

The lingering wrist pain he has experienced since early April isn’t the reason he’s resting today. He planned to rest today no matter how he was feeling. He missed two games May 13-14 in San Francisco because of wrist soreness but had started the last five games. He’s 9-for-21 (.429) in those games.

RELATED: Reds out-slug Rockies

Even playing one game without Cozart could hurt the Reds (20-22). He’s in the midst of a career year. A .252 career hitter, he’s hitting .351 in 36 games.

“I want to play every day,” Cozart said. “I hate not being out there for the team. There’s just some days where it doesn’t feel good. Today’s not one of those days. Today was already a scheduled off day. I talked to Bryan a couple days ago about it. We want to win the series today. I wish I was out there, but there’s nothing major in there, which is a positive.”

RELATED: ‘Wojo’ joins battered Reds bullpen

Cozart doesn’t know what he did to hurt the wrist. Exams haven’t shown an injury. It’s a mystery but not one that concerns him.

“It’s nothing that important or that big of an injury,” Cozart said. “In baseball, there’s no time off. The best thing would probably be rest, but that’s not going to happen. I’ve got to play through it.”

About the Author