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.

Winker is dealing with upper-back tightness, which is why he's sitting out Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I just woke up. I slept on it wrong," Winker said. "That's when I first started feeling it. Then it progressively got worse. Just a little back spasm. Unfortunately, it happened, but I should be all right. Hopefully I will start to feel better by the end of today or start feeling better tomorrow."

EDGE Analysis

Winker went on to say that the issue bothers him both when throwing and hitting. It's noteworthy and a bit cryptic that manager David Bell said that the back issue isn't why Winker didn't play Friday. "It's not why [Winker] didn't play last night," Bell said. "But it was a bigger reason why he's not playing today."

Winker is not in Saturday's lineup against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

The Reds are starting Phillip Ervin in left field, even against a righty (Miles Mikolas). Winker is hitting .281 with one home run in 32 at-bats this month but has not played since Wednesday.

Winker is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

Winker typically takes a seat when the Reds face a southpaw, but Friday is the second straight contest in which he's out versus a right-hander (Adam Wainwright). The 25-year-old has a .943 OPS since the All-Star break, so it seems unlikely he's being bumped from the starting role. Phillip Ervin receives another start in left field in Winker's place.

Winker is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

Winker's absence from the lineup registers as a surprise, given that the Reds are opposing a right-handed starter (Michael Wacha) in the series opener. Perhaps manager David Bell is just eager to take a look at Phillip Ervin, who has had a tough time finding at-bats lately with Aristides Aquino emerging as a regular in the outfield and josh VanMeter also jockeying for playing time in left field. Winker has been excellent since the All-Star break with a .943 OPS, but the production hasn't come with much in the way of fantasy-friendly counting stats. He's tallied three home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs and no stolen bases in 32 second-half games.

Winker is not in Sunday's lineup against the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

He will take a seat against a lefty (Jon Lester) in the final game of this series. Phillip Ervin will start in left field and hit sixth.