DENVER – The Cincinnati Reds had two key players depart Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies because of injuries.
Center fielder Nick Senzel exited after two innings because of a left heel contusion, the team announced. Mike Moustakas suffered an apparent injury to his right middle finger when he tried to make a catch in foul territory along the netting, replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Senzel ran into the wall in center field in the bottom of the first inning as he attempted to catch a deep line drive from Rockies first baseman Connor Joe, which may have been the cause of the injury. Senzel couldn't come up with the catch and fell to the ground after hitting the wall. Joe ended up with an RBI double for the game's first run.
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Senzel was on the ground for several seconds, then stood up slowly. Right fielder Nick Castellanos, who threw the ball into the infield, patted Senzel on the back after he took a couple of steps. Senzel fielded a ground ball single in the bottom of the second inning.
When Senzel's spot in the order came up in the third inning, Shogo Akiyama pinch-hit for him. Akiyama remained in the game in center field.
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Senzel missed one game last week when he was scratched from the lineup with a sore left shoulder. He's played a pivotal role this month as the team's leadoff hitter and splitting time between center field and second base. He was batting .350 in his last 10 games entering Thursday with seven runs and five RBI.
Moustakas went straight to Reds trainer Tomas Vera at the end of the fourth inning, holding out his right middle finger. He ran toward the stands chasing a pop-up from Alan Trejo, but it was out of his reach. Vera put tape over the finger as manager David Bell stood next to them, but Alex Blandino replaced Moustakas at first base in the fifth inning with the Reds trailing by eight runs.
The Reds are already playing a man short on their roster for their first three games of this weekend's four-game series because reliever Amir Garrett is serving a five-game suspension.
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