The Reds have officially activated Hunter Greene from the 60-day injured list, as the right-hander will take the mound to start today’s game with the Blue Jays. Right-hander Alan Busenitz was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move, and the Reds also added righty Lyon Richardson to the club’s taxi squad.
Greene last pitched in the majors on June 17, before recurring hip pain sidelined him for what became an absence of over two months. Both Greene and the Reds wanted the young hurler to be at full strength before returning, so in theory, Greene should be fully recovered and ready to become a big part of Cincinnati’s push for a playoff berth (whether as a wild card or as the NL Central champions).
The starting rotation has been a weak point for the Reds all season, and the front office at least checked in on some notable trade candidates at the deadline but didn’t add any significant arms besides reliever Sam Moll. Instead, the Reds are hoping to get a boost from their own injured pitchers returning to action, as besides Greene’s activation, Nick Lodolo and Ben Lively are also on minor league rehab assignments.
Greene is the biggest addition of the group, as despite his lengthy IL stint, he is still the Reds’ co-leader in pitching fWAR (1.8). The former second overall pick had a respectable rookie season in 2022 and then pitched well over 73 1/3 innings this year, posting a 3.73 ERA and an excellent 31.4% strikeout rate. However, Greene’s walk rate is below average and he has allowed a lot of hard contact, so he isn’t a surefire ace at this point in his career despite his promising beginning. The Reds’ unexpected rise into contention has put a lot of extra pressure on the team’s young core as they begin their MLB careers, and Greene has more responsibility than most in trying to help stabilize the rotation.
first!
Also: my first block of today! Congrats!
Welcome back, Hunter. Try to be more pitch efficient this time and give the bullpen a break.
What do you want him to do go out there and pitch like he’s Tom Seaver or greg Maddux? He’s young and gaining experience. Give him time smh
Ashcraft has the same experience and manages to do it.
You must have helicopter parents. SMH
Success at the MLB level is really difficult. It’s not like players can just snap their fingers and get better. Greene seems like an intelligent, dedicated young man who wants to succeed. That still doesn’t mean everything will click for him.
Lets leave the parents out of this. What a joke wishing Greene would be more like Ashcraft. Greene is a stud exactly like he is. Needs to stay healthy and nothing else.
There’s a difference between having talent and applying that talent. Everyone in the bigs are talented. There you have to live up to the hype. I have known a lot of “studs” who never got out of the minors or had more than a cup of coffee in the bigs.
And lots of late-round players who have had great careers. Player development is nonlinear and oftentimes messy.
It’s to late… the reds are done unless they get a wild card there basically 4 back as a tie in the division does them no good they have lost the season series… they didn’t add the pitching they needed… the brewers are going thru there hard part of the schedule and the reds have lost a game rather then gain ground
There big rookie can’t hit him self out of a paper bag anymore the league caught up to him look at his numbers recently the kid needs to be sent down
He hasn’t made adjustments. I think due to ego. He thinks just because he was successful this way in the minors, he doesn’t need to change. The big leagues are a different story.
He may need a wakeup call. He will come back either like Benson, having learned something, or like Aquino, who didn’t.
People were outraged when I suggested he carried himself with an immature attitude and a lack of work ethic.
reds…..now you’re speaking to what he’s “thinking”. you dont see anything wrong about that? be better, dude
Have seen that with a lot of young players over the years and that is almost always the case. Not exclusive to him.
Larry,
“This one…” thinks he knows what every young Reds player is thinking. I could be wrong, but he seems to ascribe almost any failure to lack of mental acuity.
gbs42…..he is indeed gifted. he needs to put those powers into better use tho.
mustache…..ridiculous. trust the process. goodness
The team has been missing Greene’s selfish approach to the game.
Right now Greene is just a thrower. Doesn’t mean he won’t get to be a PITCHER if he takes some good instruction but that is where he is right now. That is one reason why I thought they needed a veteran starter. Guys listen to fellow players more than pitching coaches sometimes.
Heck of a welcome back line he pitched.
3IP/10H/9R/8ER
They were better without him.
He doesn’t seem to have learned anything. Still trying to throw everything past everyone, bad location, no changing of speeds.
I suggested a while back if Greene and Lodolo ever learned a Soto/Castillo type changeup, they would be unbeatable. Williamson is showing right now what adding one does for you.
Sure, Hunter served a couple gutter balls… but that defense definitely let him down all 3+ innings. He should have better outings the rest of the way.
Defense did not help for sure, but he was hit HARD, even the outs.
It was almost as if they knew what was coming…and probably they did by watching video.
hasn’t pitched in over 2 months. im giving the guy a pass
Dude can’t throw his offspeed stuff for strikes, so hitters just sit on his straight-as-an-arrow fastball. Maybe if he gets better coaches and also learns a cutter….
Boy he got whacked by Toronto
thanks captain obvious
Greene got hit hard, but did throw 90 pitches. He’s very young, very talented and that leads to being inconsistent in this game. BTW didn’t Lorenzen just give up 8 runs in 3+ innings? It happens. All in all I’m glad Hunter is back and part of the rotation.
cguy….well said.