Reds outfielder Nick Senzel underwent surgical procedure to restore a fractured toe on his left foot final week, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’s anticipated to be prepared for Spring Coaching, however it seems to be as if his offseason routine may very well be impacted to some extent.
Senzel fractured the toe after he crashed into the outfield wall in pursuit of a fly ball in September. The harm ended his season a pair weeks early, and Nightengale writes that latest imaging confirmed the toe wasn’t therapeutic itself correctly, necessitating surgical procedure. Regardless of the early conclusion, Senzel noticed probably the most motion of his MLB profession in 2022. He appeared in 110 video games and tallied 420 plate appearances, narrowly topping marks he established as a rookie in 2019.
It was one other robust 12 months for the previous second total choose, who managed solely a .231/.296/.306 line with 5 dwelling runs. Senzel additionally rated 11 runs under common defensively in heart subject, and each FanGraphs and Baseball Reference graded his total efficiency under alternative stage. The College of Tennessee product has now tallied simply north of 1000 massive league plate appearances over the past 4 years, hitting .240/.303/.360.
That form of manufacturing is unquestionably not what the Reds had envisioned when choosing Senzel so extremely within the draft. That mentioned, it’s additionally attainable accidents have conspired to stop him from getting right into a groove up to now in his profession. He battled vertigo as a prospect, then noticed his 2019 season lower brief by surgical procedure to restore a labrum tear in his proper shoulder. He misplaced a piece of the 2020 season on the COVID-19 listing, then missed many of the ’21 marketing campaign rehabbing from a left knee difficulty that required arthroscopic surgical procedure.
The Reds tendered Senzel an arbitration contract final week, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $2.2MM wage subsequent season. The 27-year-old is eligible for arbitration by means of 2025, however subsequent 12 months may very well be Senzel’s final crack at cementing himself as a long-term fixture on the Cincinnati roster.
He’s presently the favourite for the beginning heart subject job, however Nightengale suggests the Reds might search for exterior assist on the place. That’d presumably be by way of the decrease tier of free company or the commerce market and would push Senzel extra right into a multi-positional position off the bench. Common supervisor Nick Krall informed reporters final week Senzel was an choice to consider at third base, the place at which he was drafted. He’s solely performed 32 MLB innings on the scorching nook whereas logging simply over 2000 frames within the outfield.
