MLB Player News

Manager David Bell said Thursday that Senzel's (ankle) progress in his recovery has been encouraging, but the skipper noted the 23-year-old is at least a couple of weeks away from playing games at any level, Fletcher Page of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Senzel was recently cleared to shed his walking boot and resume working out, but he'll likely need until late April to work through a full progression of activities before the Reds clear him for action in simulated or rehab games. The Reds will likely ease Senzel into a rehab assignment by first sending him to a lower-level affiliate before he eventually makes his way to Triple-A Louisville, where he finished the past season. Assuming Senzel hits no snags in his recovery from the right ankle sprain while playing for Louisville, he may not stick around in the minors for long. His long-awaited promotion to Cincinnati could come at some point in May.

Senzel (ankle) has resumed baseball activities, though he's still a decent distance away from playing in games, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "Nick has been throwing long toss, has begun running on the field, hitting off a tee, completing lower body lifts and is working on change of direction in the pool," Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said on Wednesday. "We anticipate live at-bats [Thursday]. We are pleased with the progress."

Senzel will eventually play in Triple-A Louisville once he's activated from the minor-league injured list, and he'll need further time before even joining the big-league club. The Reds' offensive struggles in the outfield may heighten the scrutiny on the team for their decision to send him down, but at this juncture it's a moot point. One concern about Senzel is whether he'll continue to run once he returns: Not only is there a risk of re-injury, but he also hurt himself trying to steal in the first place.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in a 3-1 victory against the Giants on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old has been on base a ton because of walks, but Machado has been a little show in most of the offensive categories. His three homers aren't bad, but Machado is hitting .244 with six RBI and seven runs through 45 at-bats. He also has one steal.

Rendon went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored Wednesday against the Phillies.

Rendon played a big role in the Nationals' offensive explosion, delivering a bases-loaded double in the fourth inning to account for all three of his RBI. That was already his seventh double of the season, which he has paired with four home runs. While he'll cool off at some point, Rendon has an impressive track record and should be expected to maintain a high level of performance.

Anderson is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Reds.

Anderson is struggling at the plate through 11 games, slashing just .143/.217/.167 with a 28.3 percent strikeout rate, so he'll take a seat for the first time all season in an effort to clear his head. Martin Prado will start at the hot corner and hit seventh in his stead.

Arenado won't play Wednesday against the Braves with the contest being postponed due to inclement weather in Colorado, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Colorado and Atlanta will hold a make-up game Aug. 26. Arenado and the Rockies will return to action Thursday in San Francisco for the club's series opener with the Giants.

After serving strictly as a pinch runner during the team's first four contests, Newman has made three starts in the last five games.

He made three errors Monday and his fielding percentage (.700) is now barely above his OPS (.697). Newman gained some credibility with a walkoff double Saturday, but gave some of it back with Monday's struggles. Fellow shortstop Erik Gonzalez is hitting .160 in 25 at-bats, leaving the door open for Newman. The 2015 first-round draft pick, who has three hits in 11 at-bats, could see more time provided he picks up his defense.

Moustakas went 1-for-2 with two walks, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 11-8 win over the Angels.

The 30-year-old has gone yard in consecutive games, giving him four homers on the year to go along with two doubles -- and only two singles, saddling Moustakas with a .211 batting average through 12 contests. That number should rise as the season progresses, but his power production will remain his biggest selling point as a fantasy asset.

Rendon went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 10-6 win at Philadelphia.

Rendon started things off with a sacrifice fly during the first inning and then came through with an RBI double in the sixth. The 29-year-old now owns a nine-game hit streak in which he is 16-for-34 with 13 runs scored, 11 RBI, four home runs and six doubles.

Suarez went 3-for-5 with a solo homer in a 14-0 victory against the Marlins on Tuesday.

The Reds have really struggled offensively this season, but they were probably due for a night like this. Cincinnati exploded for 14 runs on 16 hits, including four homers. Suarez accounted for three of those hits, raising his season average to .258. He also has two homers, four RBI and three runs in 10 games this season.