Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Nick Senzel are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Houston Astros. Joey Meneses is playing first base and batting sixth, while Ildemaro Vargas is at third base and hitting ninth against Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who is making his 2024 debut after dealing with a right-shoulder injury this spring. Gallo started each of the team's previous 14 games and could use a break after hitting just .170 with three home runs to begin the year. Senzel began the year on the injured list and has gone 2-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts in his first three games of the year. Meneses and Vargas have gone hitless against Verlander in their careers in just five combined at-bats.

The Washington Nationals reinstated third baseman Nick Senzel (thumb) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and optioned infielder Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. Senzel will be making his season debut at third base while hitting sixth on Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Tyler Glasnow. The 28-year-old former first-rounder of the Cincinnati Reds fractured his right thumb while fielding ground balls before Opening Day and was forced to the IL. Senzel has been a bust so far in his career, mainly due to injuries, but he has an opportunity to play regularly in D.C. in 2024 if he's able to stay healthy. Lipscomb, 23, went 11-for-49 (.224) with a homer, four RBI and four steals in his first 14 big-league games to begin the year while helping to fill in for Senzel at the hot corner.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (thumb) fractured his right thumb on a bad hop while taking ground balls before the Opening Day contest on Thursday against his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, and could be out for three to four weeks, according to manager Dave Martinez. Senzel signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nats in the offseason after playing parts of five seasons with the Reds. The former first-rounder has been a bust to this point in his career, mainly due to injuries. Ildemaro Vargas replaced Senzel at the hot corner in Thursday's 8-2 loss to Cincy, but prospect Trey Lipscomb is expected to be called up from the minors and could split playing time with Vargas at third base for Washington until Senzel is able to recover from his thumb injury.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (thumb) suffered a broken thumb while fielding a ground ball before Thursday's Opening Day contest against his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, according to a source familiar with the injury. The 28-year-old former first-rounder has not lived up to his draft stock in his first five years in the big leagues, mainly due to injuries, and he's now looking at an extended absence in 2024 in his first year in D.C. Ildemaro Vargas got the start at the hot corner for Washington in the Opening Day loss to Cincy and will see more playing time now to open the season, making him worth picking up in NL-only leagues. Trey Lipscomb, the club's No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline, could get called up from the minors earlier than expected as well.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (finger) was a late scratch on Opening Day on Thursday against his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, on the road after he injured a finger while taking grounders during batting practice. With Senzel out, Ildemaro Vargas will now make the start at the hot corner while batting eighth against Reds right-hander Frankie Montas. It's not the start that Senzel was hoping for in his first year in D.C., and there's no word on the severity of his finger injury or if he'll have to miss more time beyond Thursday's game. The 28-year-old former second overall pick of the Reds in 2016 out of Tennessee was a first-round bust in his five years in Cincy, mostly due to injuries. He's hoping to bounce back with the Nats after hitting .239/.302/.369 in his first 377 big-league games.

Washington Nationals third baseman/outfielder Nick Senzel (illness) is back at third base and is hitting fifth in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Senzel was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday and has missed the last several days while being under the weather, but he's feeling much better now. The 28-year-old former first-rounder will get every opportunity to earn regular playing time at third base in his first year in D.C. in 2023, and his power/speed combination make him worth a gamble in NL-only leagues if he can stay healthy. The former second overall pick in 2016 out of Tennessee played in a career-high 110 games in 2022 and hit an underwhelming .239/.302/.369 with 33 homers, 125 RBI and 32 stolen bases in his five years with the Reds.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel (illness) and catcher Keibert Ruiz (illness) were both scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to illnesses. Senzel has been sick now for a few days, and Ruiz may have caught the same bug. Both players should be able to return to the lineup in a few days at spring training and will be fine for Opening Day in late March. Senzel, a former first-rounder, flamed out in Cincinnati, mostly due to injuries. The 28-year-old is expected to try and stick as Washington's primary third baseman in 2024, and his power/speed combination makes him worth a bench spot in deep-mixed leagues if he wins the job. Ruiz, 25, has gone 1-for-4 in his two Grapefruit League games so far. He's not an elite fantasy catcher, but he has a strong floor due to his status as the Nats' starting catcher.

Washington Nationals third baseman/outfielder Nick Senzel (illness) was not in the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Monday against the New York Mets because he was feeling under the weather. With Senzel sitting out, prospect Brady House got the start at third base for the Nats. The 28-year-old Senzel is expected to see regular playing time at the hot corner in D.C. for the rebuilding Nationals in 2024. Perhaps the former first-round pick can pick things up with a change of scenery, but fantasy managers in most leagues should be content to wait and see what happens. Injuries have been the story of his career to this point. Senzel missed time in 2023 with the Reds due to toe and knee injuries and finished with a .236 average, a career-high 13 home runs, 42 RBI and six steals in 104 games.

Washington Nationals infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel signed a $2 million deal with the team during the winter meetings after being non-tendered by the Cincinnati Reds following a 2023 season in which he hit .236/.297/.399 with a career-high 13 home runs, 42 RBI and six stolen bases while playing third base, second and all three outfield spots. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2016 hit .239 with a .671 OPS, 33 homers and 125 RBI in his five seasons in Cincy. The Nats think Senzel will fare better sticking at third base in 2024 and plan to keep him there exclusively. The 28-year-old has a nice power/speed profile and hopefully staying at third base will keep him healthy for the first time in his career. Senzel has never played in more than 110 games in a single season but could be a worthwhile late-round flier in deeper fantasy leagues in an everyday role with positional versatility.

Free-agent outfielder Nick Senzel signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. The deal includes $1 million in performance bonuses. Senzel became a free agent when the Cincinnati Reds non-tendered him in November. The 28-year-old second overall pick in 2016 struggled through injuries in his five years with the Reds and never came close to reaching his ceiling. He hit .239/.302/.369 with 33 home runs, 125 RBI and 32 stolen bases in 377 games over his five years in Cincy, never playing in more than 110 games in a single year. Senzel will now have a chance at a platoon role in the rebuilding Nats' outfield as he looks to stay healthy and deliver on his power/speed combination. He'll only be worth a late-round flier for outfield depth in deep fantasy leagues in 2024.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder/infielder Nick Senzel, who was the former No. 2 overall draft pick in 2016, was non-tendered by the Reds on Friday, according to a source. Senzel will now hit the open market this offseason and will be hoping a change in scenery can help him turn things around. The 28-year-old hit 12 home runs, drove in 42 and stole a career-high 14 bases in 104 games in his rookie campaign in 2019 but followed that up with a three-year stretch from 2020-22 where he hit just .229 (127-for-554) with eight home runs, 41 RBI and 12 steals. Injuries certainly haven't helped Senzel's cause. He managed to play in 104 games for Cincy in 2023 and hit .236 (71-for-301) with a career-high 13 home runs, 10 doubles, 42 RBI, six steals and 49 runs scored.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel is starting in left field and is batting sixth in the order on Wednesday against right-hander Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants. This will be Senzel's third straight start for the Reds, although he'll likely be headed back to the bench soon with Jake Fraley (toe) nearing a return from the 10-day injured list. The 28-year-old Senzel has gone just 6-for-39 (.154) with two home runs, a double, two RBI, eight strikeouts and seven runs scored in 12 games (nine starts) in the month of August. He's also hitting a meager .218 (55-for-252) on the year with 10 long balls and five stolen bases, so fantasy managers in mixed leagues can continue to ignore the former second overall pick for now.

The Cincinnati Reds optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel to Triple-A Louisville on Friday and selected the contract of outfielder Henry Ramos from Louisville in a corresponding move. The Reds also designated right-hander Eduardo Salazar for assignment. Senzel had been seeing pretty regular playing time at third base recently for the Reds, but they'll send him down after he's hit .219/.290/.368 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, five stolen bases and 36 runs scored in 242 at-bats this year. The 28-year-old former first-rounder has been pretty bad since the All-Star break, going 5-for-40 (.125) with two homers, a double, four RBI, 10 strikeouts, a stolen base and eight runs scored in 18 games (10 starts). Spencer Steer got the start at third for the Reds on Friday night against Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder/third baseman Nick Senzel (knee) has been on the injured list since June 6 after suffering right knee inflammation. However, the 27-year-old is recovering quickly, and according to manager David Bell, the team will probably activate Senzel on Friday before their matchup with the Houston Astros. Before going down with the ailment, the former top prospect was slashing .258/.332/.380 with four homers, 22 runs, 27 RBI, and four steals across 45 games. Senzel isn't a must-roster in any fantasy league but can provide so-so production in each category in deeper formats.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel was scratched from the lineup on Monday due to right knee irritation. Senzel was initially in the lineup for Cincy's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers but was held out due to the issue and was replaced in left field by T.J. Hopkins. The injury to Senzel does not appear to be serious and fantasy gamers can consider him day-to-day for now. Stay tuned.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder/third baseman Nick Senzel is not in the starting lineup on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Senzel will take a seat after making 16 straight starts for the Reds. Over that span, he's been electric with a .322 average, three home runs and two stolen bases to raise his season slash line to .261/.327/.414 with five doubles, three home runs, 15 RBI, three stolen bases and 16 runs scored in 101 plate appearances and 26 games played. The 27-year-old is fully healthy and is starting to turn some heads in the fantasy world. If he keeps it up, he'll be a staple in fantasy lineups the rest of the way. With Senzel starting on the bench Saturday, Kevin Newman is starting at third base and is hitting seventh against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel continued to deliver at the plate in Monday's 8-3 loss to the Padres. Senzel went 3-for-4 with two singles and a solo home run. The 27-year-old has been hot since being activated from the injured list, slashing .310/.385/.500 with three HR, 12 RBI, and two stolen bases in 65 plate appearances. He has also spent time at third base and could potentially become eligible there as well. The former top prospect is currently rostered in just 18 percent of leagues, making him a worthwhile look in deep leagues at this time.

The Cincinnati Reds activated infielder/outfielder Nick Senzel (toe) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned outfielder Will Benson to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Senzel should be an everyday player for the Reds and was a former first-round pick, so he warrants rostering in deep mixed leagues, but he hasn't lived up to his draft pedigree and may need to prove himself to a lot of fantasy managers before the consider adding him off the waiver wire. The 27-year-old had two doubles and a home run in seven games during a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A before being activated. Senzel has battled injuries in his four years in the big leagues and has a slash line of .240/.303/.360 with 20 homers, 83 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 273 games to this point.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel (toe) got the start at third base in the team's 17-6 Cactus League loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Senzel went 0-for-1 in the contest after playing only three innings at the hot corner. The 27-year-old will open the 2023 regular season on the injured list, and the Reds plan to ease him back into the lineup in center field, third base and second base. He has experience playing third base in college, but once he's back to full health, he'll likely be spending most of his playing time patrolling center field. Senzel is still young, but he's running out of time to prove to the Reds and fantasy managers that he'll eventually live up to his first-round pedigree.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel (toe) is expected to be out for the start of the 2023 regular season. He hasn't had a setback with his toe this spring, but he's no longer scheduled to play in a Cactus League game this week. The Reds don't want to rush him if he'll miss Opening Day anyway. Senzel had surgery to fix a fractured toe on his left foot last November and is still recovering from the procedure. He's still young at 27 years old and should return as the team's everyday center fielder, but the former first-rounder is running out of time to impress fantasy managers. With Senzel out early in the season, the Reds could use some combination of Will Benson, TJ Friedl and Stuart Fairchild in center field until Senzel is ready.