Senzel signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
He'll have the opportunity to earn an additional $1 million in incentives and will still be under team control in 2025. Senzel was non-tendered by the Reds last month after they decided they were unwilling to pay him a raise in arbitration. The former top prospect hasn't had even a .700 OPS since his rookie season and has dealt with numerous injuries. However, Senzel should at least have a short-side platoon role after slashing .348/.389/.619 against left-handers in 2023.
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Nick Senzel: Non-tendered by Cincinnati
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Senzel was non-tendered by the Reds on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel went as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft and showed well in his rookie season in 2019, but he's now 28 years old and has slashed just .232/.296/.344 over his last 273 games dating back to the beginning of the 2020 campaign. He'll look to revitalize his career with a new organization.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Homers in loss
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Senzel went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 15-6 loss to St. Louis.
Per usual, Senzel got the start with a left-hander on the bump for the Cardinals. His fifth-inning home run meant little to the Reds, who were down 11-2 after the blast and were eliminated from the playoff chase with the loss. The home run was his career-high 13th. At 29-years-old, the once-promising prospect fell behind a class of younger talent that emerged in 2023. Senzel, who was shopped at the trade deadline, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, enters an awkward offseason as an obvious trade candidate. He'll also be a third-year arbitration eligible player, which means other teams could hold off on trading for him, hoping to get him at a lesser price as a free agent if the Reds non-tender him.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Homers in loss
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Senzel went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Mets.
Senzel has seen an uptick in plate appearances of late, as Reds manager David Bell gets him into contests whenever a lefty is throwing -- be that a starter or reliever. He's started four of the last six and entered as a pinch hitter in the two games he did not start. The infielder/outfielder has responded well to the increased usage, posting a .391/.391/.696 slash line with two home runs over the last eight games.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Cracks homer in rare start
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Senzel went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-4 loss against St. Louis.
Senzel hit a 408-foot blast off Drew Rom in the third inning for his 11th home run on the year. The five-year veteran was getting his first start since Sept. 1, and he has struggled to find playing time since Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe joined the Reds via waivers. Not that Senzel has deserved much more playing time -- he's slashing .223/.291/.383 in 89 games.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Draws third straight start
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Senzel will start in left field and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Giants.
Senzel will stick in the lineup for the third game in a row, with all of his starts coming out of the corner outfield. His brief run as a regular in the Cincinnati outfield could come to an end as soon as Friday, when the Reds are likely to get Jake Fraley (toe) back from the 10-day injured list.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Homers in return
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Senzel went 1-for-2 with a solo home run Thursday in a loss to the Diamondbacks.
Senzel was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday afternoon and made an impact in his first game back in the majors, tying the score 1-1 with his eighth-inning solo shot. That at-bat came as a pinch hitter for Nick Martini, who started the game at DH. Senzel appears unlikely to play on an everyday basis, though he could force his way into the lineup if he's able to build upon Thursday's effort and turn around what has been a mostly forgettable campaign thus far.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Recalled from Louisville
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Cincinnati recalled Senzel from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.
Senzel has posted underwhelming numbers between the majors and minors this year, but the Reds need him as position player depth after losing Joey Votto (shoulder) to the injured list. The 28-year-old former top prospect seems doubtful to deliver meaningful fantasy production.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Heads to bench Monday
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Senzel is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.
Though Senzel finds himself on the bench for the series opener with Miami, he started in five of the Reds' first six games of August and went 3-for-20 with a solo home run. With Jake Fraley (toe) recently joining Jonathan India (foot) on the injured list, Senzel could be in store for a near-everyday role in the short term.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Homers in loss
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Senzel went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-3 extra-inning loss to the Nationals.
As usual, Senzel got the start against a left-hander, Patrick Corbin, and he delivered immediately with the first of back-to-back homers in the first inning. He later had a chance to walk off the Nats with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning, but his weak liner against right-hander Andres Machado was caught and the teams moved onto the 10th inning. Senzel is typically pinch hit for late in games when facing a right-hander, against whom he is batting just .180 this season, but no left-handed bat was available off the bench at that time. Jake Fraley (undisclosed) was unavailable, while Will Benson and TJ Friedl had already entered the game.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Still with Reds
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Senzel started at third base and went 0-for-4 with three errors in Wednesday's 16-6 loss to the Cubs.
Senzel's usage has picked up recently as a result of Jonathan India (foot) landing on the injured list, as Senzel, presumed to be a trade chip at the deadline, remained with the Reds. The influx of youth has marginalized Senzel, who told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he loves the organization but would like more playing time, something that could have occurred had he been traded. "I'm at a different point in my career than the younger guys we have on our team because I'm getting paid year-to-year now," Senzel said, referring to the two more years under club control. "With that, I need at-bats; I need the innings; I need the games played." Senzel is slashing .231/.306/.376 over 248 plate appearances.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Replaces India in lineup
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Senzel was a late addition to the starting lineup in left field and went 0-for-2 in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers.
Senzel was added to the lineup after Jonathan India (heel) was scratched. Spencer Steer was slated to start in left, but he was moved to third base as part of a lineup reshuffle to accommodate India's absence. The Reds await results of an MRI on India's injury, which could impact Senzel's usage.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Goes deep in win
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Senzel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Senzel. who made just his second start since the All-Star break, extended the Reds early lead to 3-0 with his two-run shot in the bottom of the second inning. The home run was the eighth for Senzel, whose plate appearances have dropped off dramatically since the end of May. He went from 106 plate appearances in May to 47 during June and stands at 22 in July.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Batting second versus lefty
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Senzel is starting in center field and batting second Friday versus the Diamondbacks.
With left-hander Tommy Henry on the hill for Arizona, Senzel is starting over TJ Friedl and also occupying a key spot in the batting order. Senzel's sporting a .993 OPS versus left-handed pitching this season.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Key hit in win
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Senzel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Nationals.
Senzel crushed the first pitch in the top of the 10th inning for a homer and plated the winning run for the Reds. He's homered in two consecutive games and has seven in 60 games. Senzel also showed off his versatility, playing center field, right field and third base.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Homers in win
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Senzel started in right field and went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 8-4 win over Washington.
Senzel, making his first start since June 26 in Baltimore, gave the Reds a 5-0 lead in the third inning with his sixth home run of the season. He's been lost in the shuffle as an influx of young prospects pushed him to the bench. In addition to the competition, Senzel's playing time took a hit due to an unproductive bat. He batted just .143 (6-for-42) with two RBI and a .448 OPS for the month of June.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: On bench again Friday
Rotowire
Senzel is absent from the lineup for Friday's game versus the Padres.
Senzel has now been out of the lineup for three straight games and started just six of 13 contests since returning from the injured list. He's just 4-for-25 at the plate over that span and could continue to see his playing time squeezed on a Reds club that's been a surprise contender.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Sits again Wednesday
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Senzel is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
Senzel will take a seat for the second day in a row and the third time in four games after going just 1-for-13 at the dish since returning from the injured list earlier this month. With Will Benson swinging a hot bat thus far in June, he appears to have the edge over Senzel for the final spot in the Reds' everyday outfield for the time being.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Kicks off rehab assignment
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Senzel (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel will hit leadoff and start at third base in his first game with Louisville, a promising sign for his health after he was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to right knee irritation. The Reds may want Senzel to get another game or two under his belt in the minors before bringing him back from the IL at some point during next weekend's series in Houston. Once activated, Senzel should be in store for a near-everyday role, though he could see most of his action in the outfield moving forward following the recent promotion of top prospect Elly De La Cruz to the big leagues.
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Reds' Nick Senzel: Knee issue considered minor
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Wednesday that Senzel (knee) could return from the 10-day injured list when first eligible, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Senzel was placed on the injured list Tuesday due to irritation in his right knee, but it's nothing overly concerning and it sounds like he'll be back in the fold for the Reds late next week. He'd been on a streak of solid production before the injury, though Elly De La Cruz is now up with Cincinnati to command regular starts at third base. Senzel will likely have to find his playing time in a crowded outfield mix.
