Zack Cozart’s knee injury has unfortunately proven to be as bad as it looked at the time. He’ll miss the remainder of the season with torn ligaments and tendons suffered when his knee twisted as he stepped on first base Wednesday.
He’s scheduled to undergo surgery, which carries an expected recovery timetable of nine months and means his status for 2016 may be in jeopardy.
Cozart’s injury ends what had the potential to be a career-year for the 29-year-old, who had nine homers in 53 games after averaging 10 homers per 150 games prior to this season. In his absence the Reds figure to use Kristopher Negron and Eugenio Suarez at shortstop.
Cozart is making $2.35 million this season and is under the Reds’ team control for 2016 and 2017 via arbitration, but questions about his status for Opening Day and post-injury ability to remain a defense-first shortstop could make him a non-tender candidate this offseason.
