Nick Punto has been placed on the disabled list following a right forearm strain, but the big news is who they decided to recall: beleaguered first-round pick Pete Kozma, who will be making his Major League debut after putting together a .220/.284/.284 line in his AAA Memphis debut. Kozma, a shortstop who was selected 18th overall in the 2007 MLB Draft, hit .243/.318/.384 in 2010, which he spent at AA Springfield.
Kozma has been beset by whispers about his projectability from the moment he was drafted while high school wunderkind Rick Porcello remained on the board. His problems have been compounded by the Cardinals' seemingly pathological need to rush him through every level of the minor league system, which has culminated in his Major League debut with AAA on-base and slugging percentages of .284.
The good news is that he's hit .303/.378/.485 in his last 10 games, which brought his May line in the Pacific Coast League up to .245/.322/.377. Since making his professional debut Kozma has shown surprising power, the strange positive to a pro career that's been beset by ugly batting averages and an intermittent propensity for errors.