Top Reds prospect Nick Senzel returns, discusses bout with vertigo

It wasn’t quite a month, but to infielder Nick Senzel “it felt like a long time.”

Senzel, the No. 1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization and one of the top overall prospects in baseball, returned Tuesday night to the lineup for the Triple A Louisville Bats, going 0-for-4 at the plate and playing second base.

He had been sidelined since he exited a game May 3 with a recurrence of vertigo. He spent time at the Reds’ player development complex in Arizona before returning to Louisville.

“It’s hard to explain to people. It’s a weird thing,” Senzel said. “The side effects are real weird. You just don’t feel very good, and you know something is off. I knew it. I probably waited a little bit too long to say something, because it’s the second time in 9-10 months. I finally had to say something and get it taken care of. ... I could feel it starting to affect me while I was playing.”

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Senzel started slowly at the plate this season in Louisville but his batting average had climbed to .271 by the time of his absence.

He first dealt with the symptoms last August and was diagnosed at that time. He is more positive after this second bout, though, about the treatment plan in place.

He said he is doing therapy daily and “feels a lot better this time around.”

“Obviously, I’m frustrated,” Senzel said. “Everyone else is frustrated that I can’t play and this hits again. The main goal was to kind of get a treatment plan in place and how can we help this if it does come back in the future because there’s no guarantees. … But I’m hoping for the best because it’s not a fun situation to be in.”

Gentry Estes: 502-582-4205; gestes@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @Gentry_Estes. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/gentrye