Reds Lose All Star Scooter Gennett

Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett will miss 8-12 weeks with a strained right groin.

Gennett injured his groin making a play on a ground ball hit by Yasmani Grandal against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

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“He is in a lot of pain,” said David Bell, who was with Gennett when the medical staff read his MRI . “He wants to play so bad. That makes it tough but he's already thinking positive. He is determined to get back on the field as soon as possible.”

With two games to go before breaking camp in Goodyear and five days before the opener on March 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Reds had to scrabble to compensate for the loss.

“The good thing is, we brought in some guys who made the team. They are really going to help us weather this,” President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams said. “(Jose) Iglesias has been an everyday shortstop in the big leagues. (Derek) Dietrich has been an everyday second baseman. (Jose) Peraza has started at second for us in the past. There are a lot of scouts who think second is Peraza's best position. They may have to revisit that with the way he's been playing shortstop.”

The revised plan for the infield is to move Peraza back to second base and install Iglesias as the starting shortstop.

“Peraza earned the starting shortstop job,” Williams said. “But he's played second for us, so he is the one moving to second.”

That is how it will look the majority of the time.

“Peraza will continue to play some shortstop,” Bell said. “He was making improvements every day at shortstop. He wanted to do what's best for the team. We still see him as a shortstop. There were concerns about moving him back to second because he worked so hard at shortstop. But the willingness of him to move, made it an easy conversation.”

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Aside from the defense, Gennett has had the two best offensive seasons of his career. Bell talked recently. “Scooter could hit anywhere in the lineup, one through six,” Bell said Friday morning.

The Reds will probably place Gennett on the 60-day disabled list or injury list which will open a needed spot on the 40-man roster for Iglesias, who signed a minor league contract on February 23 and invited to camp as a non-roster player.

Kyle Farmer, who was optioned to the minor league camp on Friday, returned 24 hours later to the Major League clubhouse.

“We talked to Farmer about the flexibility he gives us off the bench,” Williams said. “I anticipate that he will be the guy to take that bench spot.”

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Farmer would join backup catcher Curt Casali, the fourth outfielder and Dietrich on the bench.

“We haven't played him there this spring but Farmer could probably play outfield for us too,” Bell said. Farmer has played all four infield position and caught in games this spring.

Another possibility was moving top prospect Nick Senzel back to second base. Senzel was learning a new position after he played second base in Louisville until he fractured his right index finger.

“He is going to continue on the great trajectory that he's on,” Williams said. “This injury just affects our infield.”

Senzel is moving on from the disappointing news that he will start the season at Louisville.

“It was disappointing news,” Senzel said. “I took the challenge (playing center field) head on. I learned center field. What gets lost in this is I had a chance to win the job and didn't win the job. That's how I take it.”

It has happened to Senzel before. He did not make his team at Farragut High Scholl in Knoxville but was allowed to work out with the team, eventually making the squad. He will need that same determination now.

“Scotty (Schebler) did what he needed to do to win the job,” Senzel said. “He had a great spring. As a competitor you know there is an opportunity in front of you. It is a win or lose type of scenario. There are not really hard feelings, just disappointment. I put a lot of work and effort into learning the position.'

Senzel learned a lot in center but he has more to learn.

“I felt like I played it pretty good this spring. There was only a certain amount of games that I could get in this spring,” Senzel said. “The past few years, I felt like I've learned so many different positions. I've done what they've asked. I've been there and worked hard. I'm just trying to crack the lineup. Wherever they need me to be, I'll be. I feel I can play third base. I feel I can play second base, center field. I could play short in a pinch.”

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