Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Zack Cozart noticed something sitting in the dugout this past Saturday as he watched his Cincinnati Reds teammates take on the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear Ballpark. Several Indians hitters had the same pre-pitch set-up.

Francisco Lindor, his shortstop counterpart, started with his bat on his shoulder. So did former Reds infielder Edwin Encarnacion. For Cozart – who normally started with the handle of his bat behind his ear – something clicked.

“Anytime I’ve struggled, that’s what’s always in my mind – ‘Man, I don’t feel right with my hands,’” Cozart said. “So why not eliminate that?”

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Cozart began fooling with the change about three days ago, and unveiled it in his Cactus League debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. He still gets into the same launch position, but doesn’t tense is muscles to do it until he really has to.

He figures that unnecessary tension contributed to his second-half slide last season. He felt fresh in the first half, hitting .267 with a .799 OPS. But as he entered the late summer for the first time in two years, he faded to the tune of a .223/.291/.312 second-half batting line.

“Of course, three or four months out of the year last year, I felt great and I wasn’t worried about it,” Cozart said. “But the second I felt bad, I started trying to figure this out again and it kind of boggles my mind. It takes it out of the equation.”

Early returns are good. In his first at-bat at Maryvale Baseball Park on Wednesday, he launched a 1-0 pitch from Chase Anderson into left field for a home run. He finished 1 for 3.

His debut was delayed a day because of wet field conditions Tuesday in Goodyear, the Reds being extra cautious considering the knee issues that shut Cozart down to end last season. Cozart didn’t get any balls at short Wednesday, but did start feeling his legs around the fourth inning. What he didn’t feel was the knee, which was surgically repaired back in 2015.

“I’m not ready for nine but I can play four or five,” Cozart said. “I felt way better than I did at this point last year going out there. Last year, I was so worried about the knee and how everything was going to go. This time, I didn’t even think about the knee at all.”