Senzel sent down, won't start season with Reds
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Nick Senzel will not start the 2019 season in the Majors.
The Reds' top prospect was among Cincinnati's latest round of Spring Training cuts on Friday. With Senzel reassigned to Minor League camp, Scott Schebler appears set to be the Reds' Opening Day center fielder.
Senzel, ranked baseball's No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was fighting for the starting center-field job this spring. Despite being a career infielder -- playing third base and second base -- Senzel was learning the new position, which seemed to be his clearest path to the big league roster. The Reds already have Eugenio Suarez at third base and Scooter Gennett at second.
The 23-year-old hit .310/.378/.509 with six home runs and 25 RBIs in 44 games at Triple-A last season as he dealt with vertigo and a season-ending fracture of his right index finger. Senzel was hitting .308 this Spring Training, with 12 hits in 39 at-bats.
Schebler hit .255/.337/.439 with 17 homers and 49 RBIs in 107 games for the Reds last season. The 28-year-old played mostly right field but also spent some time in center.
Also reassigned to Minor League camp were left-handers Cody Reed and Ian Krol, right-handers Sal Romano and Lucas Sims, catcher Juan Graterol, infielder/catcher Kyle Farmer, infielder Blake Trahan and outfielder Phillip Ervin.