Winker (ribs) will play in another rehab game Thursday and could return as soon as Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Winker has been out for just over a month while battling an intercostal strain. He's gone 0-for-5 in a pair of rehab games thus far, but the Reds have started losing ground in a very tight playoff race and may decide that he's their best option even if he hasn't quite found his groove yet.