standing by

If Cincinnati is looking to add a little juice to its lineup for the last few weeks of the playoff push, Zack Cozart appears to be primed for duty. The former Ole Miss star is hitting .263 with 16 home runs, 60 RBIs and 29 stolen bases for the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville club. The surprising Reds, currently in first place in the National League Central, have Orlando Cabrera (on the disabled list) and Paul Janish at shortstop, but neither is having a great season with the bat. Cozart could provide a nice change of pace there. Wonder if Tampa Bay might be considering Desmond Jennings for much the same purpose. The former Itawamba Community College standout is hitting .290 with 32 steals at Triple-A Durham. Center fielder B.J. Upton has struggled much of the year for the Rays; it couldn’t hurt to give Jennings a shot there as Tampa tries to keep pace in the AL East.
P.S. Drew Pomeranz is going to play in a bright spotlight for Cleveland whenever his pro career gets started. The Ole Miss product, signed for $2.65 million late Monday as the fifth overall pick in the draft, was the Indians’ highest draft selection since 1992, when they took pitcher Paul Shuey No. 2 overall. Cleveland is in a rebuilding mode, and Pomeranz, a left-handed power thrower, may be a big part of that project.