Nick Senzel might line up where for the Reds in 2023?

First things, first. It appears as though Nick Senzel has recovered from the toe injury that ended his 2022 season prematurely. Despite the fact that position players don't have to report until next week, Senzel is already in Goodyear, Arizona.

Senzel played in a career-best 110 games last season for the Reds, but his production at the plate had never been worse. The former first-round pick slashed just .231/.296/.306 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.

Senzel was working on a new swing toward the end of last season, so the hope is that those tweaks may help the University of Tennessee finally realize his full potential. But Senzel's injury update wasn't the only tidbit that Reds manager David Bell revealed this week.

Will Nick Senzel see time in left field for the Reds in 2023?

While discussing Nick Senzel's health with a team of reporters on Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds manager mentioned how he sees the former No. 2 overall pick lining up defensively during the upcoming season.

As was mentioned last year, it appears as though the Reds would like to use Senzel in a super utility role. After all, throughout his minor league career, Senzel played both second and third base and has seen some time on the infield dirt over the past two seasons.

"If he’s healthy, he’s going to play. What I’ve told Nick is to get yourself ready to play center, but also as our team settles in we are going to move him around a little bit and let him play some infield and prepare to play corner positions in the outfield."

David Bell, Reds manager

Speaking to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic (subscription required), Bell said that team is looking to start Senzel in center field. Then, it appears as though the plan is to allow Senzel to play the infield and, wait for, corner positions in the outfield. This is completely out of left field...no pun intended.

Versatility is the name of the game nowadays. We saw the Cincinnati Reds move Spencer Steer all over the infield after calling him up last September. It looks as though players like Chad Pinder, Nick Solak, and Jason Vosler will see time at various positions during Reds spring training as well.

The idea of moving Nick Senzel all over the diamond speaks to his athleticism. But it seems unwise to shuffle a player like Senzel (who's struggled to stay healthy over the years) between four or five different positions.

Let's hope for Senzel's sake that getting some reps in the corner outfield is just some preparation for a worst-case scenario. The 27-year-old should be focused on how he can get better at the plate and in center field, not switching to a position he's never played before.