Reds rookie Nick Senzel is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery next week to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. A timetable for his return is not yet known.
Though it was already known that Senzel’s season would end prematurely, there were questions whether the injury would require surgery or not. Those questions, of course, have now been answered and that procedure has been scheduled for Tuesday.
While no timetable has been announced, manager David Bell expressed optimism that his young center fielder would be ready to play on Opening Day 2020.
Notably, it’s not believed that the surgery will force a return to the infield for Senzel, who was thrust into a new position in his first taste of the big leagues. For his part, he fared reasonably well in center field as a rookie, credited with -1 DRS and -1 UZR—not bad marks, all things considered (he only started playing the position in spring training). He was drafted and developed as an infielder, though opportunities at second and third base have been scarce, with Eugenio Suarez entrenched at the hot corner. With Scooter Gennett no longer in Cincinnati, there’s a need at second base, although the Reds wouldn’t have an immediate replacement for Senzel in center field in such a scenario, making that an unlikely outcome. Anyway, there’s no reason to move Senzel down the defensive spectrum if he’s shown himself a passable center fielder.
It was an up-and-down rookie season for Senzel, the former second-overall draft choice in 2016. Through July, he had posted an OPS of over .800, though a dreadful month of August dragged that number down considerably. Overall, he drew walks at a 7.3% clip, a solid rate for a rookie. He’s always been lauded for his offensive skillset, which carried him throughout the minors. While he’s yet to really make good on those evaluations, he’s only got 414 Major League plate appearances under his belt. He’s had his moments, and has in reality had just one bad month.
More concerning that his performance, though, is the laundry list of injuries that Senzel’s accrued at just age 24. He missed much of the 2018 minor-league season with a fractured finger and vertigo, then began this season on the injured list with a sprained ankle.
Tough luck for this great guy. Hopefully he can make a speedy recovery.
Yes.
I fully expect that Senzel will move into play 2nd base in 2020. Either Freddy Galvis or Jose Iglesias will be at shortstop and the Reds will trade for a center fielder who can leadoff
You mean like Taylor Trammell?
No he means someone that can actually hit higher than Class A.
Oh you mean the guy that hit like .350 the last month, including the pennant winning grand slam against Tulsa in AA. So, yes, Trammell
you do realize that Trammell played left field in the Reds organization… he wasn’t even the best option for CF in AA
Trammell wasn’t a center fielder. I still hated they traded him though!
Gotta disagree. Senzel’s bat plays up in CF, and 2B is a lot easier to fill. In fact, they already have filled it with VanMeter.
VanMeter has fell flat on his face in case you haven’t noticed. They have Galvis if Iglesias stays and Peraza deserves another shot if he goes. Not to mention Jonathan India is also an option.
Damn this kid is injury prone. This injury explains his underperformance this year though. Might not need him at his best until 2021 at the earliest now.
I watched him run into the outfield wall in St. Louis a few weeks ago when he hurt himself. Don’t think it explains underperformance for the year
Not every rookie comes up and is elite. Even trout was disappointing
Why not put him at 2nd? He was scouted and developed there, won’t run into any walls and will feel more confident. Trade for a CF, the Reds have options to make.
He was a 3B in college, but yes he can play 2B as well.
I hear that Billy Hamilton is available. lol
This is career threating not just for his future in the field but also hitting power.adrian gonzalez never had the same power after his shoulder injury.
Shoulder injuries are much more serious than elbow injuries. That could be very well it for him as a productive player.
Wrong.
> shoulder surgery next week to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder
So glad to learn the shoulder surgery is being done on a shoulder and not on a leg or ear!
They hired a specialist …
Some of you, including MLBTR, need to know your subject. Senzel was batting around .285/.330 when the coaches decided to change his stance like Aquino’s. Which was a ridiculous thing to do right after the break. He’s an infielder. He needs to play 2B, but the org is too incompetent to sign a true CF, so they choose to have their #1 draft pick learn CF on the job and run into walls. That’s the labrum injury. He also fouled a pitch off himself and was hit by a pitch as injuries. But let’s not mess up your narratives.