Dylan Cozens to have foot surgery that will jeopardize his 2019 season

Embed from Getty Images

Phillies prospect Dylan Cozens career sidelined by foot surgery

The Philadelphia Phillies organization has lost an outfield prospect with big-league experience. It was announced today that Dylan Cozens, who has appeared in 27 games with the Phillies, will have foot surgery and miss the rest of the 2019 season.

Cozens, who turns 25-year-old on May 31, played in 26 games with the Phillies during the 2018 season. He slashed just .158/.273/.289 over 44 plate appearances, making eight starts. Half of those came over the final week of the regular season, after the Phillies had been eliminated from postseason contention.

On June 6 in just his third big-league game, Cozens blasted his lone home run to this point in Major League Baseball. That night at Wrigley Field against the host Chicago Cubs, Cozens drilled a two-run homer off closer Brandon Morrow in the top of the 9th inning to give the Phillies a 5-3 lead.

Cozens was called up briefly this season and appeared in one game on April 26. He grounded out weakly to second base as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning of a Phillies 4-0 win over the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.

Tom Housenick

✔@TomHousenick

OF Dylan Cozens (foot surgery) done for the season

Slashed .167/.333/.462 with 6 HRs, 20 BBs, 42 Ks in 23 games with @IronPigs

36

5:33 PM - May 21, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

42 people are talking about this

The Phillies second round pick in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft out of high school in his native Arizona, Cozens became a sensation in the 2016 season at Double-A Reading. That year he blasted 40 home runs and stole 21 bases, teaming with current Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins (38 homers) to form the most powerful combo of hitters in all of Minor League Baseball.

Dylan Cozens heats up early under the Florida sun in big-league bid

Embed from Getty Images

Dylan Cozens needs to cut down his strikeouts to stay in MLB

The Philadelphia Phillies have made significant improvements to their overall roster for the 2019 season. Two of those upgrades came in the starting outfield, where former NL MVP’s Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper now hold down the left and right field corners respectively.

Center field was supposed to feature an open competition between Odubel Herrera and Roman Quinn. Injuries to both players have left the position a bit of a question mark. It is expected that Herrera will be available sooner, and for now he appears to be the odds-on favorite to open the season starting between McCutchen and Harper.

That would seem to leave a pair of returnees, Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams, as likely bench performers. The 25-year-old Williams saw 448 plate appearances across 140 games as the starting right fielder a year ago. It was just two years ago that the now 28-year-old Altherr made 92 starts in the outfield.

With just over three weeks remaining in Grapefruit League action down in Florida, much could still change for the Phillies. Injuries and even further trades by the front office could alter the player mix before the club heads north for the season opener on March 28 at Citizens Bank Park.

Another factor in determining which players make the Opening Day roster will be performance here at spring training. That is where 24-year-old Dylan Cozens comes into the picture. After receiving his first cup of coffee in the big-leagues during the 2018 season, Cozens is hoping to force his way into the mix down in Clearwater.

Last season, Cozens appeared in the first 26 games of his Major League Baseball career. He played in 14 games split between the two corner outfield positions with the Phillies, getting eight starting opportunities. Over 44 plate appearances he slashed .158/.273/.289 with three extra-base hits and one stolen base.

On June 6 at Wrigley Field against the host Chicago Cubs, Cozens blasted his first career big-league home run. In the top of the 9th with the score tied at 3-3 and facing closer Brandon Morrow, Cozens ripped a 2-1 pitch out deep on a line to left field for a two-run blast to put the Phillies on top.

During his seven-year minor league career after being drafted by the Phillies in the second round back in 2012, Cozens had developed as a major power-speed force, drilling 126 home runs and swiping 100 bags.