What to make of Nick Senzel's return to the Reds roster

You have to feel good for Nick Senzel, right? After being optioned to Triple-A earlier this month, Senzel was recalled after Joey Votto was placed on the 10-day IL with shoudler discomfort.

Senzel wasted little time showing the Cincinnati Reds' brass why he belongs in the big leagues. The former first-round pick mashed a pinch-hit home run over the fence in left field to tie the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks last night.

The Reds would go on to lose the game by a final of 3-2, but there's no denying the impact that Senzel had on the game. But how did we get here and what's next for Senzel?

What to make of Nick Senzel's return to the Reds roster.

There's so many moving parts to this equation, and it feels as if Reds fans have been on this roller coaster ride with Nick Senzel for the past two weeks. Senzel was sent down to Triple-A Louisville after he had failed to be little more than bench bat over the past few months for Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell.

Senzel and his agent had a conversation with both Bell and Reds GM Nick Krall before the trade deadline. While Senzel didn't outright request a trade, it was apparent that he was unhappy with his lack of playing time. Outside of being in the lineup when facing a left-handed pitcher, Senzel was riding the pine.

Then came his horrific three-error performance on August 2nd against the Chicago Cubs. That began a seven-game stretch that saw Senzel go 3-for-25 (.120) before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Since Senzel was sent down, the Reds have selected the contracts of Henry Ramos and Nick Martini while also adding prospects like Michael Siani and Noelvi Marte to the roster. It wasn't until Joey Votto landed on the IL, leaving the Reds with little choice, that Senzel was finally recalled back to the big leagues.

So what's there to make of this entire situation? Quite frankly, it's very confusing. With Noelvi Marte now installed as the Cincinnati Reds everyday third baseman, it would seem that any hope Senzel has of playing is going to come in the outfield against left-handed pitchers, or, as we saw last night, as a pinch-hitter against lefties.

Nick Senzel is a due a raise through arbitration in the offseason, and with the 27-year-old looking for an expanded role, Reds fans should most likely consider this a farewell tour for the former first-round pick.

In saying that, the Cincinnati faithful should be hoping that Senzel is given ample opportunity to showcase his talents over the final month-plus of the season. Not only might that increase his trade value during the offseason, but if Senzel is swinging a hot-bat, that could greatly help the Reds postseason chances.