Senzel returns from foot injury to make 2023 debut

CINCINNATI -- It was not lost on center fielder Nick Senzel that he was in Toledo when word came that his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville was ending and that he was coming back to the Reds to make his 2023 regular-season debut on Thursday in Cincinnati's 6-2 win over Philadelphia.

“That’s where I got the call when I made my debut back in 2019,” Senzel said. "It was kind of a little emotional. I know it can be a big year for me.”

To make room for Senzel, the Reds optioned outfielder Will Benson to Louisville.

Senzel was back in the big league lineup for the first time since Sept. 20, when he fractured his big left toe in a wall collision vs. the Red Sox and missed the final 14 games of the 2022 season.

The healing had complications and Senzel needed surgery on his toe in November. He was confined to a boot and scooter to get around most of the offseason, which put him behind going into Spring Training. He didn't make his Cactus League debut until the final week of camp.

In seven games with Louisville, Senzel batted .240/.406/.440 (6-for-25) with one home run.

"I didn’t really get much of a Spring Training. It was good to get 2 ½ weeks of games and at-bats," Senzel said. "The more I was out there, the more comfortable I was feeling.”

The time in Louisville also previewed something Senzel will experience in Cincinnati -- moving around. He played two games in center field, two games at third base and his final two games in left field. He was also the designated hitter in one game.

It was the first time, professionally, that Senzel ever played left field.

"Actually, I took to it pretty well," he said. "It was a good challenge for me. I think playing outfield quite a bit and moving over worked to my benefit. I think it was good to be out there.”

Senzel, 27, started in center field vs. the Phillies on Thursday, but manager David Bell is expecting to move him around and use him as a utility option.

"It’s really day to day," Bell said. "We’ve seen Nick, at this level, mostly in center field. We know he can play third base. I have no doubt he can play second base. He started to play corner outfield recently. I would never say anything on the field is easy, but I have a lot of confidence in Nick’s ability to take on new challenges even without a lot of experience."

During Thursday's series-opening victory over the Phillies, Senzel moved from center field to second base for the final two innings when Kevin Newman exited the game after being hit by a pitch on the shoulder in the bottom of the sixth. Senzel went 0-for-4 on the night.

This is viewed as a pivotal season for Senzel, who has been injured often since his big league debut four years ago. He did play a career-high 110 games in '22, but he batted .231 with a .601 OPS as his power dwindled with five homers.

A swing change with hitting coach Joel McKeithan was starting to take hold just before he was injured last season. While standing less wide, he went back to being taller in the batter's box and hovered his left foot off the ground as the pitch arrived. It helped him gain more exit velocity.

Senzel felt those changes succeeding while in Louisville.

"I think physically, mentally, it's the best I've felt," Senzel said. "I think the injury, it gave me some time to iron some of that stuff out, mentality part. Physically, just having the time to ramp up and build up and get those rehab games was really important."