GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Sonny Gray appears to be back on track. One of three starting pitchers the Reds acquired in the offseason, Gray was scratched from his first start on Saturday because of right elbow stiffness. On Thursday, he threw a side bullpen session and came away quite pleased with

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Sonny Gray appears to be back on track.

One of three starting pitchers the Reds acquired in the offseason, Gray was scratched from his first start on Saturday because of right elbow stiffness. On Thursday, he threw a side bullpen session and came away quite pleased with the results of his roughly 15-20 pitches.

“Yeah, it went great,” Gray said. “I’d say today was probably the best day thus far. I got to play catch, been playing catch for a little while now, got on the mound, brought the catcher in front a little, and then I think I’ll have another day and then have another one on Saturday and kind of go from there. Everything is progressing kind of how we thought it would.”

Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson, assistant pitching coach Caleb Cotham and head trainer Steve Baumann watched Gray as he threw. For this session, Gray's catcher was positioned a couple of feet in front of the plate.

“Today, I just wanted to get on the mound and have a feel after not being on it for a while,” Gray said. “It’s just a progression thing, just get on the mound, throw down the hill and everything feels great.”

Gray, 29, was acquired in a trade from the Yankees on Jan. 21 and signed a three-year, $30.5 million contract extension through 2022, with a $12 million club option for '23.

Along with Tanner Roark and Alex Wood , Gray was brought in as part of a rotation overhaul as Cincinnati attempts to turn itself around and compete in the National League Central. Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani are also part of the rotation. Manager David Bell hasn’t decided on an order of the starting five, nor has he decided on an Opening Day starter.

“Not really,” Bell said. “I think we really see this beginning phase of Spring Training as practice. We want to use this time to our advantage and not get locked into too much.”

When asked if he would be ready for the start of the regular season, Gray replied “definitely.”

Gray threw on flat ground the day after he was scratched, but he and the club took every precaution.

“It wasn’t a crazy thing from the get-go,” Gray said. “It was one of those things … that you just try to stay on top of now instead of letting something linger. That was the decision we made. It kind of sucks to take a tiny step back, but in the end, it’s better for all parties involved.”