GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- With Nick Senzel being sent down on Friday, it’s already been established that Scott Schebler will get the majority of playing time as the Reds’ center fielder once the regular season opens. But having a contingency plan is always a good idea.

While pitcher Michael Lorenzen might get some time in center field here or there, manager David Bell views left fielder Jesse Winker as the guy who will back up Schebler. Bell prefers to keep Yasiel Puig in right field regularly, but didn’t rule out the occasional chance to play center field.

“We need to make sure that we have someone who can play out there,” Bell said on Sunday. Talking to guys that have seen Jesse play out there, he's done it before.”

First base coach Delino DeShields had Winker playing center field when he managed him at Triple-A Louisville, and told Bell he could handle the position well enough. Bell gave Winker two innings in center field on Saturday vs. Cleveland, and started him there for four innings during Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Colorado.

“It felt great. It’s a position that I feel I can play,” Winker said. “It excites me that the coaches believe that I can go play center field. I’ve done it before for Delino down in Triple-A. Honestly, it was a lot of fun.”

In the third inning, Winker had to make a long run to catch Elliot Soto’s fly ball to the warning track in right-center field.

“I felt it was a good play,” Winker said. “It’s a play that if you’re going to play the outfield that you kind of have to make. I was tracking it and going to get it. I’ve got two good guys in Puig and Kemp on my left and right that are communicating with me.”

Winker batted .152 with four home runs in 16 games this spring, including two homers on Saturday.

“I don’t really put anything on Spring Training results. I was feeling good,” Winker said. “I felt like this Spring Training has gotten me the most prepared for a season that I’ve ever had.”

Roster not set, bullpen remains

The Reds broke camp after Sunday’s game for two exhibition games Monday and Tuesday against the Braves in Atlanta. They still have to make one more cut to get to a 25-man roster. Wandy Peralta, Matt Wisler and Robert Stephenson are the three relievers seeking two open spots in the bullpen.

Peralta pitched a perfect seventh inning with one strikeout to finish camp with a 0.00 ERA over 10 innings in nine games -- he walked one and struck out eight in total. Wisler allowed one hit over his scoreless eighth inning and has a 3.75 ERA in 10 games and 12 innings. Both Wisler and Stephenson are out of Minor League options, which complicates the situation.

“That’s why we couldn’t get quite all the way set before we leave today,” Bell said. “We have one more tough call.”

Gray has strong spring after injury

Reds starter Sonny Gray's camp was interrupted by right elbow stiffness before the first game, but he came on strong since returning. Gray posted a 0.90 ERA in three Cactus League starts, including one earned run over his five innings on Sunday.

“I feel strong from where we were at the beginning of camp with that little setback,” Gray said. “We’ve hit steps along the way and lined it up to throw that second game. I’m excited to get out of Arizona and get this thing going.”

Gray is scheduled make his regular season Reds debut on Saturday vs. the Pirates. In his final tuneup, he gave up three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Five of the strikeouts came on sliders and two were on curveballs. He put a few balls in the dirt that were blocked nicely by catcher Tucker Barnhart, but a slider that bounced for a wild pitch scored the lone run vs. Gray in the fifth inning.

“I was spinning the ball pretty good today,” Gray said. “Tucker was truly great. He was really mad at himself on the one that got away. That’s an almost impossible ball to block. He’s really, really good back there. I told him, ‘you can’t block that ball, I threw it 45 feet.’”

Wood throws to hitters

On a practice field Sunday morning, Reds lefty starter Alex Wood threw the equivalent of two innings of live batting practice to hitters Alex Blandino, Kyle Farmer and some Minor Leaguers. Wood showed no issues with the sore lower back that has kept him out of games since Feb. 25.

Wood will begin the regular season on the injured list. The plan is for him to remain in Arizona to continue pitching. He will likely pitch in one Minor League spring game, and possibly two games with Class A Advanced Daytona on a rehab assignment. If all goes well, he could join the rotation in mid-April.

Up next

Tanner Roark will get his final preseason start Monday at SunTrust Park when the Reds and Braves play at 7:20 p.m. ET.