Nick Senzel's injury history makes the Reds' offseason acquisition of Albert Almora Jr. all the more important

Nick Senzel was scratched from Wednesday night's game with a back injury. While it's not expected to keep the former first-round pick out of action for very long, the Cincinnati Reds are being very cautious and kept Senzel out of the lineup again on Thursday afternoon.

Senzel's injury history makes the Reds' offseason acquisition of Albert Almora Jr. all the more important. Almora Jr. was signed to a minor league contract prior to the start of the 2022 season.

Senzel has missed a few weeks this season due to illness, but injuries have not plagued the 26-year-old this year. The 26-year-old had shoulder surgery that ended his rookie campaign in 2019, missed half of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with an illness, and was out for a large portion of last season with a knee injury.

The Reds were wise to sign Albert Almora Jr. this past offseason.

Albert Almora Jr., much like Tyler Naquin last year, was quite the find for the Cincinnati Reds' scouting department. Almora Jr. has always been an above-average defender, and no doubt that's what led to him being signed this past spring.

But what Almora Jr. has done at the plate has, in my mind, guaranteed him a spot with the Reds for the remainder of the season and maybe even 2023. With no real replacement for Nick Senzel in the Reds' farm system, they'd be wise to hang on to Almora Jr.

The former Chicago Cubs centerfielder does not become a free agent until after next season. Throughout his big league career, Almora Jr. has never signed a big-time contract and it's doubtful Cincinnati would have to shell out much more than a couple million dollars this winter in order to retain the 28-year-old's services for 2023.

Between the two outfielders, Albert Almora Jr. is the more versatile, as we've seen him play all three outfield spots. With Tyler Naquin currently out of the lineup, Almora Jr. has seen a lot of time in right field while Nick Senzel lines up in center.

So long as he's healthy, Senzel should be getting the majority of starts in center field over Almora Jr. Because of all his nagging injuries over the years, it's debatable that the Reds even know what they have in Senzel. The former University of Tennessee standout is still under team control through 2025.

But it's always good to have a back-up plan, and Albert Almora Jr. is more than qualified to fill that role for the Cincinnati Reds this season.