Reds news: Nick Senzel remains positive despite injury-riddled past

If it weren’t for bad luck, Nick Senzel would have no luck at all. Still, the Cincinnati Reds centerfielder remains upbeat and positive, ready to return. Senzel has been on the IL since May 21st and it’s unlikely he’ll be back until late-July at the earliest.

The easiest thing in the world to do when things don’t go your way is to complain. Many folks cry when life throws them a curveball. But rather than moping about, Senzel remains in a good state of mind despite his rocky, injury-riddled past.

Reds centerfielder Nick Senzel is expected to return in late-July.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said late last week that he expected Nick Senzel to return to field at the end of July. Given the 25-year-old’s injury-riddled past, forgive me if I’m a bit apprehensive to believe that timeline. However, Senzel himself has maintained a positive attitude. Here’s an excerpt from his conversation with MLB.com yesterday:

“It’s (the knee injury) led to a longer absence than I obviously would have liked. I don’t enjoy being here and rehabbing every day. 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.”

That’s about the only thing Senzel can do; stay positive. It’s not going to help him or the team if he sits back and sulks about being on the injured list more than he is on the field. I know a good section of fans throughout Reds Country consider Senzel a bust, or injury-prone, or made of glass, or any number of other disparaging statements.

The truth of the matter is, Senzel has suffered through a myriad of odd injuries (vertigo, an injured finger, a torn labrum, a high ankle sprain) including an unspecified absence from the team last season that robbed Senzel from a month during the abbreviated 2020 season.

“It’s taking longer than I thought. I really can’t do much, I only do what they tell me to do. We’ve been through all this before.”

Nick Senzel is right; he can’t really do much except what the doctors allow him to do at this point. It’s a shame that a once bright future has been clouded by injuries, but at this point, all Senzel can do is continue to rehab and hope to return later this season with an eye toward helping this team win the NL Central.

Senzel still has value, but those who are advocating for the Reds to move on are sadly mistaken. While I don’t think you can consider Senzel a reliable part of your team moving forward, he still possesses great athletic ability, a keen sense of the strike zone, and a great deal of defensive versatility.

With the likes of Jonathan India, Mike Moustakas, Eugenio Suarez, Shogo Akiyama, and Tyler Naquin on the roster, the Cincinnati Reds have ample depth up and down the roster. Adding Senzel back to the active roster later this summer will only increase the roster depth and allow David Bell to more creative with is lineup.