Reds' Zack Cozart expected to go on DL with injured knee

Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is expected to go on the disabled list after leaving Wednesday's 5-2 win against the Phillies with a right knee injury, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Leading off Wednesday's game, Cozart hit the first pitch he saw from Phillies starter Jerome Williams to the hole at shortstop, where Cesar Hernandez fielded the ball and threw to first. Cozart stretched to try to beat the throw and his right leg slipped off the back of the bag. Cozart appeared to twist his right ankle and fell awkwardly to the ground. He immediately grabbed his right knee.

Trainers and coaches immediately came to Cozart's aid. After more than a minute, he left with his arms over the shoulders of Reds athletic trainers Paul Lessard and Steve Baumann. He did not put any weight on his right knee while he was helped off the field.

"He had an MRI, we're waiting for the results and Dr. (Timothy) Kremchek 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."

Cozart is hitting .258/.310/.409 with nine home runs and 28 RBI so far this season.

"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 the latest in a long line of injuries for the Reds this season — and even in the short term. Second baseman Brandon Phillips left Tuesday's game with a groin injury, and center fielder Billy Hamilton was held out of his second straight game on Wednesday with a wrist injury.

The Reds have two players on the current active roster, Kristopher Negron and Ivan De Jesus Jr., who can play shortstop. Negron started Wednesday's game in center field. Negron moved from center to short after Cozart's injury.

The Reds have not made any announcements yet, but it is likely Eugenio Suarez would get the call from Triple-A. Suarez, 23, played in 85 games for the Tigers last season after Detroit's Jose Iglesias was injured. He hit .242/.316/.336 with four home runs and 23 RBI for Detroit last season. He was not in the Bats' lineup for Wednesday night's game in Columbus.

The Reds acquired Suarez from the Tigers in the deal that sent Alfredo Simon to Detroit in December. The Reds started Suarez in Triple-A because they wanted him to play shortstop everyday there. With the Bats, Suarez is hitting .256/.348/.438 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. Since May 1, Suarez is hitting .280/.380/.469 with five of his eight homers.

"He's a guy that for us, we feel is capable of being an everyday shortstop, he's not a guy that you have to matchup with a left-handed starter or get out late defensively or a guy who is more of a super-utility player," Price said. "We see him as an everyday Major League shortstop. He got off to a slow start, which a lot of guys do down in Triple-A in Louisville with the colder weather. He's really warmed up and done some good things defensively. If we end up calling him up, I would anticipate that that would continue. I don't want to say he's a seasoned Major Leaguer, but he played for Detroit last year and they had a great year and he had to hold down that position."