Winker exited Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox after being hit by a pitch on the left wrist during the first inning, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Winker was immediately replaced by a pinch runner, though he indicated he was fine after exiting the contest. Regardless, it's worth keeping an eye on his availability in the coming days with spring training just getting started this weekend.

Winker (neck) is in the starting lineup for Sunday's spring opener against the White Sox, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Winker has been sidelined since late August due to a cervical strain, but he'll be ready to return to action for the Reds on Sunday. The 26-year-old saw consistent playing time in Cincinnati last season prior to his injury, but he could face competition heading into 2020 after the Reds acquired Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama during the offseason.

Winker (neck) could face significant competition for playing time this season, following the Reds' signings of Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama.

EDGE Analysis

Right now Winker has to both prove that he's healthy and then beat out Akiyama or Nick Senzel for playing time, not to mention Aristides Aquino. At best, a platoon role seems most likely absent a trade and/or an injury.

Winker (neck) returned to Cincinnati on Wednesday to receive additional treatment for the cervical strain, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Winker was rehabbing with the team during the current road trip but returned to Cincinnati due to his slow progress. The 26-year-old didn't suffer a setback, but manager David Bell said, "[Winker] wasn't responding to the treatment as fast as we thought."

Winker was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a cervical strain, retroactive to Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Winker has been out of the starting lineup since Aug. 15, so the Reds have elected to place him on the injured list. It's unclear if he'll be able to return after the 10-day minimum, but he'll be eligible to be activated beginning Aug. 29.

Winker (back) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

The Reds are facing a lefty starting pitcher (Matt Strahm) in the series finale and Winker is still tending to upper-back tightness, so his continued absence from the lineup isn't overly surprising. Winker will stick on the bench for the seventh game in a row while Phillip Ervin picks up a start in left field, though he'll be available off the bench and is expected to avoid a trip to the IL, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Winker (back) is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

He appeared as a pinch hitter Sunday, but has not been in the lineup since Aug. 14. With the Reds facing a righty (Cal Quantrill), Winker's back is clearly the reason for his continued absence. Brian O'Grady is starting in left field and hitting eighth.

Winker was unavailable for Monday's game against San Diego due to back soreness, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Winker managed to enter Sunday's matchup as a pinch hitter, so while it appeared possible that his absence from Monday's lineup was due to a lefty taking the mound for the opposition, the Reds revealed after the contest that Winker is still being bothered by a sore back. He'll likely be re-evaluated prior to Tuesday's game to determine his availability moving forward.

Winker (back) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

Though Winker will be on the bench for a fifth straight game, the Reds were satisfied enough with the condition of his back to deploy him as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Cardinals. Winker walked in his lone plate appearance and didn't stay in the game for the subsequent half inning, but it's not believed that he suffered a setback in his first game action since Aug. 14. Instead, Winker's continued absence from the lineup for Monday's series opener is most likely result of the Padres bringing a lefty (Eric Lauer) to the hill.

Winker (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Both Winker and Joey Votto are dealing with back issues and will miss their fourth consecutive contests. Based on manager David Bell's recent comments, Winker's upper-back tightness may not have surfaced until Saturday, making it all the more surprising that the outfielder sat out the previous two games when the Reds were opposing right-handed starting pitchers. In any event, Winker's absence for the series finale will clear room in the outfield for Phillip Ervin. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports that Winker will be available off the bench.