In the last few games Nick Senzel played for the Cincinnati Reds the week of May 17, Senzel played as well as he had all season.
He made two highlight defensive plays at third base. He was hitting near the top of the lineup. And most importantly to Senzel, he was an everyday player. Before the Reds game on Saturday, Senzel said he was playing through multiple injuries at the time.
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One of them, a knee injury, eventually required surgery in late May. Senzel hasn’t played since, and he isn’t expected to begin a rehab assignment until after the All-Star Break.
“I was just going to be out there hobbling,” Senzel said. “I wanted to play so bad because I’ve had baseball taken away from me the last couple of years. I guess I could play through it. But was it worth going out there and being 30% of me?”
Senzel has been rehabbing at Great American Ball Park and playing catch on the field, but his rehab process is going more slowly than he expected. Initially, the Reds placed Senzel on the 10-day injured list. Senzel later went on the 60-day IL, but Reds manager David Bell said Senzel could be back in the Reds lineup after the All-Star break.
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One month after knee surgery, Senzel said he feels pain in his knee.
“(I) figured we’d just let it calm down and then I’d rehab a little bit,” Senzel said. “It just wasn’t getting any better. It just wasn’t. It’s more of a bone issue too, like my elbow. I had to clean some stuff out, so a cortisone shot didn’t even help alleviate the pain. It was one of those things where I just had to get it taken care of.”
Senzel was hitting .252 this season in 36 games. He moved from center field to second and third base and became a regular starter in the infield before his injury.
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“I felt we were finally on the same page, me and the staff, about using me in that flex-utility role,” Senzel said. “I enjoyed it. I was able to get more at-bats and I was able to show them what I can do. I loved it, I felt like I was more attuned to the game too because I was a little closer to the action. I enjoyed it, and I think it’ll be something I continue to do.”
Senzel has had bad luck with injuries in his career. In 2018, his Minor League season ended in June after a finger injury. In 2019, Senzel tore his labrum in September and missed the end of the season. In 2020, Senzel spent the middle part of the season on the injured list with an unspecified injury.
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In three MLB seasons, Senzel has played in 163 games.
“I don’t enjoy being here and rehabbing every day,” Senzel said. “I’d like to be playing. You feel like you’re kicking it, you’re kicking it and you’re kicking it and then bad luck seems to follow. Going through a lot of these, I’ve gotten used to being more positive.”
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