CINCINNATI -- Before the COVID-19 pandemic and national emergency halted everything last week and canceled the rest of Spring Training, no decisions had been made by the Reds regarding their key roster battles.

There are still 48 players listed on the team's camp roster and whenever baseball resumes, those competitions are expected to resume in full force.

Let’s take a closer look at where things currently stand.

Outfield
It was a murky situation to begin with, especially because of sheer volume. There were 10 outfielders in camp, plus reliever Michael Lorenzen when he plays there.

The only position that appeared settled was right field, where manager David Bell said free-agent acquisition Nick Castellanos would be playing the majority of the time. After that, even fellow newcomer Shogo Akiyama wasn’t being slotted for just one regular outfield spot. Akiyama’s usual position is center field, but he also appeared in left field during Spring Training. Nick Senzel is also a center fielder, and it’s the only position he’s played in the outfield so far.

“With our outfield depth being a strength, I don’t know if any of our guys will have to play every day,” Bell said on March 9.

Locks: Akiyama and Castellanos. Senzel should be as well, assuming he has no setbacks with his surgically repaired right shoulder.

Looking good: Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin. The left-handed-hitting Winker, who missed the last six weeks of last season with a back injury, had a nice spring, batting .368 with an .879 OPS. Ervin, a right-handed hitter, is batting .409 with two home runs and a 1.253 OPS. He’s also out of Minor League options.

Less likely: Aristides Aquino and Scott Schebler. Aquino is batting .077 in 10 games with 11 strikeouts. A right fielder during his brief career, he got a look in center field to assess his versatility, but made a couple of mistakes. Aquino also has options left. Schebler, who played poorly during the first month of 2019, was demoted to Triple-A Louisville before injuries marred the rest of his year. In 2020, he is batting .238/.385/.381 with five walks and seven strikeouts in his 10 games. He’s also committed a few defensive gaffes.

Injured: Josh VanMeter and Travis Jankowski. A utility player, VanMeter was having a strong spring while batting .400 with one homer and 1.193 OPS in seven games. But an anterior muscle injury near his left shin sidelined him after the game against the Cubs in Las Vegas on March 7. The speedy Jankowski was off to a great start while going 4-for-7 with two doubles in four games, but he suffered a mild left-hamstring strain while running out one of those doubles.

Rule 5: There is also Mark Payton, who was plucked from Oakland in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Payton has gotten a long look over 14 games and can play all three positions. Although he’s looked good during his opportunities at the plate and field, he would either need to stay on the 26-man roster for the entire season or else clear waivers and be offered back to Oakland for half the $100,000 the Reds spent on him.

Bullpen
The first five spots were expected to be set with closer Raisel Iglesias, left-hander Amir Garrett and right-handers Lorenzen, Pedro Strop and Robert Stephenson.

There was a large number of relievers seeking those final three spots, and the extended pause to the season could reset the competition since arms will need to be built back up.

Among the relievers making a strong case is Nate Jones, who is a non-roster invite. Jones, a Northern Kentucky native, made three strong appearances this spring, though he had a late start due to the extra precautions he needed to take after undergoing surgery last season to repair a torn flexor mass tendon in his right forearm. Joel Kuhnel -- ranked the No. 22 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline -- threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his five appearances. Sal Romano, who was taken off the 40-man roster shortly before camp opened, worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings.