3. Reds CF Nick Senzel will begin the season on the IL.
This seems a bit unfair, but it is what it is at this point in time. Nick Senzel has proven one thing since arriving in the major leagues back in 2019 - he can't stay healthy. Even last season, when Senzel set a career-high in games played, his season still ended on the IL.
The 2022 season was the third time in four years that Senzel finished the year on the IL. In 2019 it was a shoulder injury, in 2021 it was knee, and last year Senzel's season ended with a broken toe. All of this on top of missing more than half the abbreviated 2020 season with an illness.
At this point, you just can't count on Nick Senzel to be part of the Reds everyday lineup. It would appear that Cincinnati's front office feels the same. With Wil Myers likely to line up in right field, Senzel will have a fight on his hands this spring if he's actually able to take the field.
Stuart Fairchild, Michael Siani, and TJ Friedl will all be pushing for playing time and all three have the ability to play center field. While Senzel could find time back at third base with the absence of Mike Moustakas and Kyle Farmer, he'll find competition there too in the form of Spencer Steer, Jason Vosler, and Alejo Lopez.
The 2023 season would seem to represent the last chance for Nick Senzel to make an impression on the Cincinnati Reds organization. There are more than enough young players who are going to be battling for playing time, and if Senzel isn't on the field, he'll be passed over rather quickly. Don't be shocked if that lingering toe injury shelves Senzel to begin the 2023 season.