Scooter Gennett exits Cincinnati Reds game with apparent injury

Sometimes, the twists and turns of sports drama seem too calcluated to be real. Disney endings, computer catch-up mode, and the likes. On Friday, that drama has hit the Cincinnati Reds like a ton of bricks, as CF Nick Senzel was reassigned to minor league camp after losing out on his bid to make the Opening Day roster, the IF turned CF top prospect likely destined for AAA Louisville to wait-out what could be an expensive service clock deadline.

Of course, Senzel was only in CF in the first place this spring because he was blocked at his natural positions of 3B and 2B, at the former by All Star Eugenio Suarez, at the latter by All Star Scooter Gennett. And before the dust could even settle on the news that Senzel had been reassigned, Scooter Gennett suffered an injury that required him to be helped off the field in the Reds Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Seriously.

Dammit. Damn it.

Of course, the severity of Scooter’s injury is not yet known, and the hope is absolutely that it’s nothing major for the time being. That said, the pending addition to the roster of infielders Derek Dietrich and Jose Iglesias means that there isn’t going to be a turn of foot on Senzel’s trip to the minors even if 2B looks like it will be open for a longer period of time. My best guess is that Senzel, who played exclusively in CF throughout camp in Goodyear and who The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans confirmed was set to continue playing there in AAA, would likely need at least a little bit of time to get reacquainted with playing infield defense, anyway.

Probably 14 days of re-learning what he’s done his entire life, if I had to put a number on it.

Cross your fingers that Scooter emerges from this a little banged up but, on the whole, just fine for the 162 game grind. And if you’re one of the many long-suffering Cincinnati sports fans, cross your fingers that this isn’t another chapter of the sports gods pulling a fast one on you.