St. Louis Cardinals’ Zack Cozart expected to return this weekend – MLB News
St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop Zack Cozart took batting practice on Tuesday, September 18, as he hoped he will not miss many games in the days to come after the strained left oblique muscle sent him out of the line-up.
Zack Cozart has so far missed 12 games since he fell victim to his injury. Tuesday’s batting practice augurs well for the shortstop, a player that the St. Louis Cardinals want back in the team sooner than later given the competition of the Wild Card race.
However, neither the player nor the club wants to rush at this point in time. They are treading carefully to avoid any risk that may jeopardise the shortstop’s season.
"We're trying not to rush back," Cozart said. "It felt great the first day I took BP and we came back Sunday, less than 24 hours later, it was a little sore from the day before. We decided to take it slow."
Cardinals will have a three-game series this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That series might well see Cozart back in the Redbirds’ line-up. The return is tentative, but Cozart did say he expected to appear in the games this weekend if things went well.
"I don't have a set date," he said. "If I keep making progress, I wouldn't be surprised if it's, hopefully, this weekend."
Oblique injuries keep a lot of the players vulnerable. Weather has a big role in it as the team manager Dusty Baker pointed out. The club hopes cold weather does not lead to further delay in Cozart’s return.
"This is the time of year when weather can change day to day," Reds' manager Dusty Baker said. "It affects Cozart as much as anybody. It's harder to keep that oblique area loose and warm."
Having so far appeared in 127 games this season, Cozart has maintained a .243 average in 523 at-bats with 15 home-runs, 32 RBIs with .402 SLG. With the progress he has recently made and if the weather remains good enough, Cozart will be part of the Cardinals' line-up, bolstering both defence and offence with his set of skills and experience.
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