Reds infielder Nick Senzel is following in Kyle Farmer's footsteps

Cincinnati Reds utility player Nick Senzel began the 2023 in familiar territory. He was recovering from offseason foot surgery and was on the injured list to begin the year.

But Senzel quickly completed a rehab assignment and rejoined the big league club on April 13th. Senzel was adjusting to a new role that would see him play not just on the outfield grass, but on the infield dirt as well.

Through the first two months of the season, Senzel would enjoy a fine stretch where he hit .270/.341/.405 with four home runs, 26 RBIs, and recorded four stolen bases.

Reds infielder Nick Senzel is following in Kyle Farmer's footsteps.

But the Cincinnati Reds decided to alter Nick Senzel's role with the ball club after the arrival of top prospect Elly De La Cruz. The rookie phenom was playing too well down at Triple-A Louisville, and it was only a matter of time before he made his big league debut.

De La Cruz's debut coincided with Senzel's placement on the 10-day IL due to a minor knee injury, and since his return, the 28-year-old has seen very little playing time. Since coming off the IL on June 16th, Senzel has played in just 29 games with only 14 starts.

During that time, his hitting has seen a sharp decline as well. Without regular playing time, Senzel is slashing just .155/.234/.362. That explains why, according to MLB.com, Senzel met with manager David Bell and GM Nick Krall to discuss his role with the team going forward.

Senzel is stuck in nearly the exact same spot as former Cincinnati infielder Kyle Farmer. Now with the Minnesota Twins, Farmer's role was drastically reduced following the 2022 trade deadline. Jose Barrero was given the majority of starts at shortstop in place in Farmer.

The Reds traded Farmer during the offseason and acquired reliever Casey Legumina. That could be Nick Senzel's fate later this year. With so much young talent coming up through the farm system, it seems like a good time for the Reds and Senzel to part ways.

While Nick Senzel has never lived up to the hype of being a first-round pick (mostly due to a myriad of injuries), he's been a good teammate and mentor to the young players on the Cincinnati Reds roster this season. Senzel's future with the ball club, however, is very cloudy.