Let’s see what Nick Senzel is up to...

Cincinnati Reds CF Nick Senzel has been out of action since waking up Sunday morning and ‘not feeling well.’ Given the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, all precautions were taken to keep him sidelined until it could be officially determined what ailed him, and in the process that has caused a bit of a stir both among the Reds and the rest of the baseball world.

In essence, it seems Senzel never once tested positive, but after volunteering information that he might be exhibiting symptoms, he’s been stuck in a bit of purgatory trying to return to action, something The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal detailed earlier today. Effectively, Senzel and the Reds have been bitten by their own willingness to be cautious, and MLB’s protocols for returning to play have been strict to the point of pretty much keeping a healthy, non-positive player sidelined longer than either party hoped.

If Nick can be trusted as an official source - and I don’t see why not in his own personal case - that might finally be over.

Hopefully, that means he can be back in the Reds lineup tonight, one that has been largely punchless during their 4-game losing streak. Hopefully, that also means Mike Moustakas is on the verge of returning, too, since all reports point to him never testing positive, either.

While we can certainly point to many other reasons why the Reds have stumbled of late, from bad bullpenning to Wade Miley’s stumbles to David Bell perhaps overmanaging, it’s undeniable that removing uncertainty and getting all the best players available back in the dugout should be a boon, and hopefully this is the first step in that direction.

*And as an update, it appears all systems are go: