Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart was hit in the head by a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers starter Josh Beckett in the fifth inning on Tuesday at Great American Ballpark.
Zack Cozart hit in head by pitch, stays in game
The Reds left their shortstop in the game after he took an 85-mph pitch to the ear flap.
Joe Robbins
With two outs in the frame, Beckett threw an 84-mph change-up on a 2-2 count that hit the ear flap of Cozart’s helmet. Team medical personnel attended to Cozart for several minutes and allowed him to stay in the game.
Vine courtesy of Michael Shamburger.
Cozart took first but was stranded there after Mike Leake lined out to left field to end the inning. He returned to shortstop for the top of the sixth with the Reds down, 4-0.
Given the amount of attention paid to head injuries in other sports -- and even baseball, really, with the advent of the seven-day concussion disabled list -- it was a surprise to see Cozart stay in the game. While the training staff took their time examining the 28-year-old infielder, there’s little doubt that the unit has better tools at its disposal in the clubhouse and with more time to ensure a thorough inspection.
Cozart was hit in the head by a pitch against the Dodgers once before, taking the brunt of an errant fastball from Chad Billingsley in a July 2012 contest in Los Angeles.
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