GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The last time that Reds right-hander Luis Castillo and Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta squared off, it was on a field nearly 1,600 miles to the northeast on April 3, 2019.

That afternoon featured a strikeout showcase from the two hurlers at Great American Ball Park, as the duo whiffed a combined 20 batters. The Reds’ 6-4 loss Thursday afternoon featured more of the same from Castillo, who recorded five of his nine outs via the punchout, with three of those coming on changeups, his primary strikeout pitch from last season.

“My changeup has been my best [pitch] so far [this spring], but I’ve been doing a lot of the combos with sliders, so that’s really been getting the batters out,” Castillo said via translator Jorge Merlos.

After a pair of doubles to lead off the game led to a run for Milwaukee, Castillo bowed his neck and retired nine straight batters to polish off his third outing of the spring. The Reds' 2019 Opening Day starter has now struck out nine over his last two appearances, allowing two runs in five innings.

“That was definitely the best of the three [spring outings] so far,” Reds manager David Bell said.

Bell noted that Castillo could have gone back out for a fourth inning of work, but the team opted to end his afternoon on a high note.

“I just made the adjustments to get back into the groove,” Castillo said.

Senzel’s first Cactus League appearance Nick Senzel made his spring debut Thursday as the designated hitter, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. While production is always welcomed, Senzel isn’t sweating the road back after undergoing surgery in September to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

“I’m more excited than anything,” Senzel said. “But I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy. I’m just ready to get back into games and get back into the swing of things.”

Senzel’s final at-bat came against Brewers closer Josh Hader, the two-time, reigning National League Reliever of the Year.

“That’s what I live for,” Senzel said of squaring off with Hader, who induced a flyout. “I want to face the best. I thought that I put a good swing on it, but it’s just nice to be back out there facing big league arms.”

Galvis injury update
Bell confirmed that shortstop Freddy Galvis is dealing with a mild left quad strain, which he projected could keep him sidelined for the next five to seven days.

The club’s initial plan had called for Galvis to serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday, before making his first Cactus League appearance at shortstop on Thursday.

“We need to keep him healthy,” Bell said. “He’s so important to our team. … No one wants to play this game more than he does. … He wants to get out there as soon as he can.”

Should Galvis miss time during the regular season, Kyle Farmer could be next up at shortstop. The utility man, who appeared at every infield position last season, clubbed his first homer of the spring in the third Thursday.

“He believes that, in his mind, he’s better than any of us know,” Bell said, "and that means something.”

Farmer fielded his lone defensive opportunity at shortstop, making a strong throw on the run to close out the second.

Welcome back
• Mike Moustakas, who spent 2018-19 as a member of the Brewers, returned to the lineup Thursday after a brief absence to attend to the birth of his daughter. He hammered an RBI double to center field in the third.

• Nick Castellanos, who recently had a bout with the flu, was also back in the lineup and manned right field. He went 0-for-2 and is now 2-for-8 on the spring.

Worth noting
The Reds have been hit by a pitch 14 times in Cactus League play, the most of any club in the Majors this spring.

Up next
Left-hander Wade Miley will make his second start of the spring on Friday facing a familiar foe -- the A’s, whom he matched up against four times last season while pitching for the Astros. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz. Southpaw Jesse Biddle is expected to make his Cactus League debut in relief, while fellow Opening Day bullpen hopefuls Tyler Thornburg, Matt Bowman and David Carpenter are slated to appear. The A’s are set to counter with left-hander Sean Manaea. The game can be heard live on Gameday Audio.