The Diamondbacks have officially called up outfield prospect Collin Cowgill, but will he see regular playing time (in place of Gerardo Parra) in left field?

"How would I know that?" manager Kirk Gibson told the team's website reporter in true Gibson-like fashion, apparently forgetting that he's the one who gets to make those decisions. He stated later that he would decide things on a day-to-day basis.The 25-year-old Cowgill had a breakout campaign at Triple-A this season, hitting. 354 with 13 homers and 30 steals (in 33 attempts) before his promotion. We do need to present those stats in context, though, as "video game numbers" abound in the Pacific Coast League this season. In fact, Cowgill's high OPS (.984) and slugging percentage (.554) were barely in the top 10 of the PCL when he was called up. Still, it was an impressive performance.The stocky, 5-foot-9, right-handed hitter generates pop, thanks to strong wrists and forearms, and he's short to the ball and uses his hands well when things are going right for him. When he's struggling, it's usually because of his tendency to overswing and get a little loop in his stroke while trying too much to hit for power. He has a sound approach and pitch recognition, but he is an aggressive hitter who has had a tendency to chase out of the zone in the past. He could have some vulnerability with plus velocity.One of the keys for Cowgill's surge this season has been a result of his becoming less of a pull hitter and more of a gap-to-gap threat. He has been hitting the ball to the right side on the appropriate pitches more consistently this season, letting the ball travel a bit more, trying to use the middle of the field and not trying to do too much with pitches on the outer half.Fantasy owners will be enticed by his stolen base numbers, but Cowgill is not a burner. Rather, he's an above-average baserunner with a good idea of what he's doing on the basepaths, an ability that has been enhanced this season by his Triple-A manager, Brett Butler, who was a big-time base stealer in the big leagues in the '80s and '90s."I think I've been really good at knowing when to run and when not to run," Cowgill told me a few weeks ago. "There's definitely been a more conscious effort to steal more, but at the same time don't take the bat away from the guys behind you. Pick your spots, and pick your counts. I've been working on that quite a bit."I don't expect Cowgill to post huge steals totals in the big leagues, even with regular playing time, but he can be a 20-steal threat, thanks to his good basestealing instincts.Parra was recently hit on the wrist by a pitch and has missed some time, but when he's healthy, he and the right-handed hitting Cowgill could form a platoon arrangement, especially given the stellar defense Parra has provided this season.Here's the burning question: Even though there aren't a lot of holes in his swing, will Cowgill hit for authority enough to be a quality starting option? Or will he just be a good fourth outfielder with the flexibility to play all three outfield positions, as many scouts have pegged him to be?Cowgill has drawn comparisons to Cody Ross (but with more speed) for a number of reasons, including his height, build, outfield versatility and that they both bat right-handed and throw left-handed. Scouts will often refer to him as a "grinder" or "energy" player. I do see Cowgill settling in as more of a fourth outfielder type rather than an everyday fixture in the lineup, but that doesn't mean he can't have value -- for this season and future seasons -- in deep NL-only leagues.

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