LAKELAND, Fla. >> It’s human nature to want to read deeper into things, to maybe connect some dots and see if A plus B equals C.

For example:

Wenceel Pérez, who has been out since March 3 due to tightness in his lower back, hit live against Reese Olson in a sim game Tuesday and was expected to be in the lineup and in center field Wednesday against the Rays.

Instead, Riley Greene started in center, his first center-field reps of the spring.

Does that mean, then, that the Tigers are lining up contingency plans in case starting center fielder Parker Meadows and Pérez can’t start the season on time?

Plausible thought, but not exactly accurate.

“I wouldn’t even call it a setback (for Pérez),” manager AJ Hinch said. “We talked about Wenceel playing (Wednesday), but he faced Olson yesterday in lives (BP) and had some residual soreness. Given where we’re at in the spring and given where we’re at with the roster, we’re being uber cautious.”

So, Perez was held out Wednesday and Hinch said he might hold him out Thursday, as well. But Pérez is continuing to do all of his baseball work.

“We just have to get him right,” Hinch said.

As for Greene getting reps in center, Hinch said that was going to happen at some point this spring and Pérez being scratched created the opportunity Wednesday.

“It opened up the day, but it wasn’t the driving force,” Hinch said. “I talked to Riley a while back about sprinkling in some reads (in center) when Parker went down because I knew that was going to be the first question I would get. But there’s going to be in-game moves, as you know, that push Riley into center.

“We didn’t want that to happen without him having some reps. The day changed, but not the motive.”

In a perfect world, Greene would stay in left field where he was the Fielding Bible Award winner last season. It’s not necessarily an easier position to play, but there is less running, less wear and tear on his body.

The decision on whether Meadows will start the season on time likely will come this weekend, possibly on Friday when the twice-weekly medical report comes out.

He’s been out three weeks because of a nerve issue in his upper right arm.

“He’s not full-go,” Hinch said. “He’s making incremental steps, whatever that means. He’s not ready for games. He’s not close to games right now. But that can change as soon as we shake that nerve out and wake it up.

“Things are better, but not full-go.”