Just a few hours before the first pitch Thursday in Cincinnati on Opening Day, 3B Nick Senzel left the field warming up with a cup of ice around his right hand. This would have been Senzel’s first game against the Reds since signing with the Nats this offseason. He was the Reds second overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. Davey Martinez announced before the first pitch that Senzel had been diagnosed with a fractured thumb trying to field a ground ball. He is expected to miss approximately three to four weeks.
That did not take long. With the unfortunate news that Senzel would be out for an extended period of time, the Nats were quick to bring up 2B/3B Trey Lipscomb (no. 16) who was the last guy that was demoted to minor league camp Tuesday. Instead of opening the season playing with Triple-A Rochester, Lipscomb has traveled and re-joined the team in Cincinnati. He is expected to get playing time right away.
Trey Lipscomb
Nobody opened more eyes this spring than Lipscomb did showing he can provide for the club at the big league level. The 2022 third-round pick doesn’t appear on many top prospect boards but showed out putting up quality performances on both sides of the ball. Between Single-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg last season he hit .272 with 29 doubles, 14 homers, and 72 RBIs in 129 games. Lipscomb was also a Gold Glove Winner among all minor league third basemen while also getting reps at second base and shortstop.
He was on the cusp of making the cut for the Opening Day roster this spring he hit .400 (20/50) with a homer and seven RBI. He did not make the cut with the thought process that he could get starts at second base at some point this season while Ildemaro Vargas got the reps at third. But just a few days later the Nats practically forced to give Lipscomb the opportunity that he may have originally earned. He will get the bulk of his playing time at the hot corner with the plan for him to potentially make his MLB debut this afternoon.
