Senzel (toe) started Thursday's spring training game at third base and played three innings, going 0-for-1.
Senzel will begin the season on the IL, but when he's eventually activated it doesn't appear he'll be stepping into the starting lineup. Instead he'll be a utility player, getting time in center field, third and second. Third base is where he actually played in college, though he's always been blocked there at the big-league level.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Making spring debut Wednesday
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) will make his Cactus League debut Wednesday against the Padres, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Senzel isn't starting the game but will come in off the bench as the Reds ease him into action. The outfielder has been brought along slowly this spring following a pair of surgeries on a fractured toe. He'll remain in extended spring training while the Reds head north before eventually starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Senzel is expected to play center field, third base and possibly some second base while on his rehab assignment.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Could make Cactus debut Wednesday
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) is listed as a reserve on the Reds' roster for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Padres, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Reds haven't confirmed that Senzel will definitely play in the game, but he does appear poised to make his Cactus League debut. Senzel has been slow-played this spring while working his way back from a couple surgeries on his fractured toe and seemingly hasn't progressed as quickly as hoped. However, he's game-ready now, and while he'll begin the season on the injured list, a return at some point in April looks likely.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: On track to miss Opening Day
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Senzel (toe) is no longer in line to play in Cactus League games this week and is unlikely to be cleared for Opening Day, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Though the skipper relayed that Senzel is continuing to make progress in his recovery from November surgery to repair a fractured toe of his left foot and isn't dealing with any sort of setback, the 27-year-old seemingly hasn't made enough advances in his running program and defensive work to gain clearance for games yet. Senzel might have a chance at getting into a game during the final week of the exhibition slate, but it looks as though he'll start the regular season on the injured list. If that's the case, the Reds could take a platoon approach to center field, with Will Benson and/or TJ Friedl serving as options from the left side of the plate and Stuart Fairchild representing a short-side option.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Closing in on spring debut
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) is on track to make his Cactus League debut early next week, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel has had some setbacks with his running as he works his way back from two surgeries on his fractured left big toe. However, he's made nice progress of late and Reds manager David Bell said Friday that Senzel's batting practice has been the best he's ever seen it. He would seem to still be a question mark for Opening Day, but if Senzel can keep moving in the right direction he's got a shot to avoid an injured list stint.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Still not running 100 percent
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Tuesday that Senzel (toe) still isn't running at 100 percent, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel has been hitting and playing defense in both the outfield and infield during daily workouts at Reds camp, but he won't be exposed to live action until his running program is fully where it needs to be. The 27-year-old is still working back from multiple surgeries to repair a toe fracture in his left foot and seems questionable for Opening Day at this point. He'd probably have to start appearing in Cactus League games before mid-March to make it happen.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Hitting in simulated game Friday
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) will do some hitting in a simulated game Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
It's a big step for Senzel as he attempts to distance himself from offseason toe surgery. The hope is that the outfielder will be ready to play in Cactus League games by mid-March. It would be a tight window to get ready for Opening Day, but that remains the goal.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Could see games by mid-March
Rotowire
Manager David Bell said Sunday that Senzel (toe) could be ready for game action sometime in mid-March, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel is finishing up his recovery from offseason toe surgery and is currently tracking pitches before moving on to live batting practice. Assuming the 27-year-old is cleared for game action within the next few weeks, he should have enough time to get ready for the Opening Day.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Nearing live batting practice
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) is on track to take live batting practice soon, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
That said, Senzel is still not running at 100 percent as he recovers from multiple surgeries to repair a fractured toe in his left foot. Reds manager David Bell acknowledged Thursday that the 27-year-old outfielder might be cutting it close for Opening Day. It's a situation that will require monitoring throughout the month of March.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Will sit out early spring games
Rotowire
Manager David Bell said Sunday that Senzel (toe) will likely miss the Reds' first handful of Cactus League games while the center fielder begins ramping up, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Though Senzel received a clean bill of health entering the spring following a pair of surgeries to address a fractured toe, the Reds aren't keen on immediately throwing him into the fire during Cactus League play. Instead, Senzel will use the first week or two of camp to take some reps in the outfield and face pitching in a more controlled setting, allowing him to make up to some degree for the time he lost due to injury in 2022. Senzel noted last week that his toe surgeries prevented him from testing out a reworked swing late in the 2022 season and during the offseason, so his upcoming workouts over the next few days should afford him the opportunity to do so. Assuming Senzel experiences no setbacks with his toe and is worked into the spring lineup by early-to-mid-March, he'll be the most likely candidate to open the season as Cincinnati's primary center fielder.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Cleared for spring training
Rotowire
Senzel is back to full health following offseason toe surgery and will enter spring training as the frontrunner for the Reds' starting center fielder role, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "If he's healthy, he's going to play," Bell said Tuesday. "What I told Nick is get yourself ready to play center, but also as our team settles in, we are going to move him around a little bit, let him play some infield, prepare him to play corner positions in the outfield, so we have some flexibility there."
Senzel may be facing a make-or-break season with the Reds, as he could find himself off the 40-man roster if he's unable to solidify himself as the everyday center fielder or emerge as a useful bench piece. Through parts of his first four seasons in the big leagues, Senzel has managed a lowly .240/.303/.360 slash line in 1,036 plate appearances while missing extensive time with an assortment of injuries. In an effort to jumpstart his career, Senzel told Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer that he'll be experimenting with a swing change in spring training, so his results during Cactus League play may be worth keeping an eye on.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Left foot feels good
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic on Tuesday that his surgically repaired left foot is "good."
Senzel has undergone multiple surgeries for a troublesome fracture in his left toe and is hoping to be able to put that issue fully behind him in 2023. He will be eased along in Reds camp this spring, but Rosecrans notes that the 27-year-old outfielder is "in great shape" about six weeks out from Opening Day.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Status to start year uncertain
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) has spent most of the offseason wearing a walking boot, and it's unknown if he'll be ready for the start of the 2023 season, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel missed the final few weeks of the year after he fractured a toe in his left foot in September. He's undergone two surgeries on the toe, as the first operation was unsuccessful. The 2016 second overall selection slashed .231/.296/.306 with five homers in his 420 plate appearances in 2022, but despite his struggles at the plate, he has a chance to be a regular for the Reds if he's healthy enough to be on the field.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Still expected to play center field
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) is still expected to start in center field to begin the season, though it's possible that he could get work in other positions, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "He can play all over the field and be an everyday player, but with where we are as a team, he still factors into center field a lot," manager David Bell said.
It's still not certain whether Senzel will be ready for the start of spring training following his surgery in November to repair a broken toe.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Avoids arbitration with Cincy
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) signed a one-year, $1.95 million contract with the Reds on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Senzel's 2022 season ended in September with a fractured toe that later required surgery when it didn't heal properly. His status for the start of spring training is in question and it's fair to wonder at this point whether a breakout will ever happen for the 2016 No. 2 overall pick.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Undergoes surgery
Rotowire
Senzel underwent surgery in the offseason to repair the broken bone in his toe, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel's toe wasn't healing properly, so the surgery was simply to mend the issue. He is still expected to be ready for the start of spring training. The 27-year-old outfielder was forced to miss the final weeks of the season because of his toe, and he finished the year with a career-low .602 OPS through 411 plate appearances.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Shifts to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Senzel (toe) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.
The 27-year-old was ruled out for the season with a broken toe earlier this week, so it's not a surprise to see him moved to the 60-day IL in order to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. Senzel had a .231/.296/.306 slash line with five home runs, 25 RBI, 45 runs and eight stolen bases in 110 games this season, and he isn't guaranteed to open 2023 in a starting role.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Moved to IL
Rotowire
The Reds placed Senzel on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a fractured toe on his left foot.
Senzel sustained the season-ending injury in the Reds' loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday, when he barreled into the outfield wall while trying to make a play on a fly ball. The broken toe is yet another cruel twist of fate for Senzel, who has missed extensive time since first reaching the big leagues in 2019 and hasn't logged more than 410 plate plate appearances in any of his four seasons. Even though Senzel had just started to make strides at the plate over his final six games, he'll still finish with a lowly .231/.297/.306 slash line across 109 games. Senzel should be fully healed for spring training, but he may not be guaranteed an everyday role when the 2023 season begins.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Out for season with broken toe
Rotowire
Senzel sustained a fractured toe Tuesday against the Red Sox and will miss the rest of the season, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
The 27-year-old suffered the injury Tuesday when he collided with the outfield wall as he attempted to make a running catch, and it will end his 2022 campaign a few weeks early. The oft-injured Senzel played in a career-high 110 games this season and posted a .231/.296/.306 slash line with five home runs, 25 RBI, 45 runs and eight stolen bases.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Exits game early
Rotowire
Senzel left Tuesday's game against Boston early after a hard crash into the outfield wall, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel ran into the center field wall trying to catch a fly ball and immediately fell to the ground after doing so. He attempted to run after being examined by a trainer but couldn't do it and was forced to leave the game. More updates will come as we learn more about his status.
