Cincinnati Reds: 3 overreactions from Opening Day loss

2. Reds centerfielder Nick Senzel is made of glass.

There are tons of takes throughout Reds Nation that grow tiresome. The only one more overplayed than Joey Votto is paid too much money, is that Nick Senzel is injury-prone and the team should’ve traded him while they had the chance. Can we actually stop with negativity surrounding Senzel and try to lift him up for a change?

Senzel exited the game after making a spectacular catch in center field. The 25-year-old charged hard on a Nolan Arenado line drive in the top of the fourth inning. After securing the ball, Senzel popped up awkwardly and began to wince. Reds Country had a collective moment of, “Here we go again,” once it was revealed that the centerfielder was not returning to the game.

The good news for the Reds is that Senzel appears to be okay, and Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer revealed that David Bell hopes to have him back in the lineup this weekend. Bell later spoke to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com about the decision to remove Senzel from the game:

"“It was significant enough to come out of the game, but we probably won’t have the full knowledge of what to expect until tomorrow. I do think, indications right now, he’s going to be OK. We’ll just have to see how many days it will be. Hopefully we’ll have him back this weekend.”"

The optimism from David Bell is encouraging, and hopefully we see Nick Senzel back in the lineup this weekend. If not, Cincinnati has good depth in the outfield. Even without Shogo Akiyama, who’s out with a hamstring injury, the Reds have Aristides Aquino, Tyler Naquin, and Mark Payton if Senzel is sent to the IL.

Yes, I understand that Senzel cannot help this team if he’s sitting at home, nursing an injury. But, the Reds can no longer get anything of value for Senzel in a trade, so let’s move beyond that idea. Senzel injured himself laying out for a ball with his team trailing by five runs. The hustle and grit is what makes him the player he is, and I don’t expect him to slow down. That’s the only way he knows how to play.