Reds ace Hunter Greene is heading for an MRI after experiencing stiffness in his right elbow, manager Terry Francona tells reporters at Reds camp this morning. Greene himself says the injury dates back to late last season (link via Charlie Goldsmith). He was recommended for an injection and had a normal offseason but tells the Reds beat that the discomfort has crept back up recently. Greene will be examined by longtime team physician Timothy Kremchek and have a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He says his ulnar collateral ligament was intact at a recent check, but news of a new round of imaging will inherently lead to some concern until the results are known.
Greene acknowledged in his comments that, like many big league pitchers, he’s aware of some bone spurs in his elbow. He’s navigated that issue in the past, it seems, and surgery has not been recommended as an option to this point. The right-hander wouldn’t commit to whether he’ll be able to make his first start of the season.
“If something has to be done, it’s early and we’ll get it out of the way quick and can have the big chunk of the season,” Greene said this morning. “If we have a playoff push, I’ll be ready to go.”
Even a brief absence for Greene is a bitter pill for the Reds to swallow. The former No. 2 overall draft pick has been one of the game’s best pitchers on a rate basis over the past two seasons but has missed considerable time due to a pair of groin strains in 2025 and some elbow discomfort in 2024. He’s started 45 games across the past two seasons and worked to a 2.76 ERA with a 29.2% strikeout rate, 8.1% walk rate and 33.5% ground-ball rate. Last season’s 15.4% swinging-strike rate was fourth-best in MLB (min. 100 innings pitched), trailing only Tarik Skubal, Dylan Cease and Logan Gilbert.
Greene is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $53MM extension. The 26-year-old is being paid $8MM this season before making $15MM and $16MM in 2027-28. The Reds hold a $21MM club option (with a $2MM buyout) over his 2029 season.
With Greene’s status up in the air, one of the stronger-looking rotations in the sport takes a big hit. Cincinnati can still trot out Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer and top prospects Chase Burns (the No. 2 pick in 2024) and Rhett Lowder (the No. 7 pick in 2023), but neither Burns nor Lowder has fully established himself in the majors yet. Lowder pitched only 9 1/3 minor league frames last year due to forearm, oblique and shoulder issues.
Depth options on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster include another former first-rounder, Chase Petty, and a pair of formerly touted prospects returning from injury: righty Julian Aguiar and lefty Brandon Williamson. The Reds also selected righty Jose Franco to the 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the 2025 Rule 5 Draft; he tossed 110 innings of 3.11 ERA ball between Double-A (2.76 ERA) and Triple-A (3.51 ERA) last season.
There are, of course, some notable starters remaining in free agency. Lucas Giolito and fellow righty Zack Littell — the latter of whom finished the 2026 season with Cincinnati — remain unsigned. Veterans like Tyler Anderson, Patrick Corbin and old friend Anthony DeSclafani would be more affordable depth pursuits.
However, president of baseball operations Nick Krall told Goldsmith that even if Greene misses time, he doesn’t anticipate engaging with any free agents to fill that void. That perhaps leaves the door cracked for waiver and trade activity to replenish some depth, but the Reds’ 2026 payroll is already expected to be higher than in 2025, so the team may not have much budget space with which to tinker after spending more than $47MM in free agency already.
Here we go again.
Dude just cannot pitch a full season. Good thing we have 2-3 alternatives now.
Anything with the elbow is always ominous, hopefully there’s no ligament damage.
The dreaded second opinion mentioned too.
When does a meeting with Dr. ElAttrache ever end with something other than TJ surgury?
Depends on your insurance.
I guess it’s too late for the Reds to trade him now?
That’s unfortunate. Reminds me of Rodon during his earlier years where the talent is there, but can’t be relied on to stay durable. Bit of a tease.
He is NO Gerrit Cole
Unfortunately—- Green just can’t stay healthy.
A great philosopher once said: “It’s not easy being Greene.”
Oh no. Very uncool.
TJ time
See you in 2028.
Rats
When I see ” longtime team physician” I translate it to: A lot of medical discoveries might have passed him by over the years!
Lots of second opinions to be had, it’s easy to send electronic MRIs to have them looked at, and guys like Greene will get them. But the diagnosis is rarely going to change more than TJ vs internal brace or whatever, so bad news is still bad news.
The teams that just push ice and rest and optimism usually lose months to messing around and rarely gain much effective pitching. If there’s something wrong just bite the bullet and fix the problem. Sorry Reds fans.
Don’t be sorry. Thanks for being straight. while it sucks, they have some nice depth..
Every time I see Dr. Neal ElAttrache, I think it is that guy from The Simpsons.
Spoken like a young punk.
Let’s get you to bed now grandpa
He’s fun to watch. This Pirates fan is sending good vibes his way.
Oh no. Reds are cooked.
Cooked?
Similar to warming nachos, but with higher heat
The reds have good depth but this obviously hurts
Agreed. I was hoping to see if they could improve on least season. This will definitely make it more difficult
Zoinks!
Ruh-ror.
Ah, f***
Sorry to say it but sounds exactly like when Justin Steele elbow problems surfaced
I really hope if he actually needs a procedure that they don’t kick it down the line until June or something.
Unfortunately that seems to be their history. Let’s not repeat it.
Unfortunately it has become an inevitability when you have dudes throwing so hard for so many years.
Big arms. Electric stuff. Elbow problems.
This is exactly why guys like Gioloito, Littel, and Anderson likely haven’t been sweating not signing yet. If it’s not the Reds who need another guy, it’ll be a different team.
I’ll bet every one of those guys has been sweating, and all asked themselves out of multiple offers in the early off-season. The Reds (and most teams by now) have spent what they were going to spend and have to fill-in injuries with what they have.
He’ll never pitch a full season. Shoulda traded him
Greene says the issue goes back to last season. Trade value this offseason would’ve been significantly diminished.
It makes you wonder though, if it goes back to last year, why wait til spring training? The Reds said all along they had no interest in trading him so protect your interests.
That was surprising to read. What have they been doing the last 5 months?? Sad to see.
“If we have a playoff push, I’ll be ready to go.”
That sounds like a guy about to miss some time.
It does, but it makes it sound better than see you next may.
This one belongs to the Reds
21 hours ago
“A Dodgers pitcher having shoulder issues? Shocking!”
Karma is a harsh mistress.
what about the rest of us who DIDNT comment on
dodger arms ? we get punished as well? not fair! not fair at all!
Every team has injuries, especially pitching injuries. It’s common and it’s not more prevalent for one team or another. This is why roster depth is so very important.
Burns is definitely starting the season in the bigs now…..
He better be.
Kerry Wood was better
Travis Wood was better
He was a great Left Fielder. One of my favorite memories was Joe Maddon putting Travis wood in left field for a double switch to keep him in the game as a pitcher and later hit a homerun in that vgane
I miss the days when pitchers hit, especially the ones who could rake (Mad Bum, Zack Greinke, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale come to mind), or bunt better than hitters of today can bunt.
I’m with you on that. I think it was Michael Lorenzen that hit either a walk off or late innings go ahead homerun the day after his father had passed away. It’s really remarkable what a player can do after something tragic like that happens.
I remember a marathon game when the Mets alternated Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco in left and right field.
Phillies Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit two home runs against the 1971 Big Red Machine.
baseball-almanac.com/boxscore/06231971.shtml
Morning wood is always ready to play
Wilbur Wood even better.
Dbacks finally dodge one
Yeah as far as I know this is the first setback or injury of spring for the reds, just wish it wasn’t one of the top guys.
You were never getting Greene.
My condolences, Cincy fans.
Plenty of starting depth remains! Rhett Lowder is completely legit. Kept Brady Singer just.for this reason.
I hope he doesn’t need TJS.
Ruh- Roh Shaggy.
Get some PRP in the elbow and then rub some dirt on it. Seriously, I’ve always liked him, I really hope it’s a nothing burger, abundance of caution move.
oh no
Careful. You might summon the Kool aid man
Sucks to see that but I feel like a lot of it has to do with how fast you’re throwing and how long you can keep throwing it. I’m sure we’ll see more injuries this year to pitchers. It used to be how many pitches can you throw and if it breaking. Now it who can pitch the fastest. Greene is very talented but he needs to mix more pitches like slow the pitch down and add more break to it, but that just me.
It aint easy being Greene.
When pitchers say “I’ve been dealing with bonespurs for a while”, I wonder why they don’t go ahead and get them dealt with in November. Is there a serious risk to their future if they have the surgery done?
There are always inherent life risks to getting surgery – anesthesia, post-op infection, etc. It’s why anesthesiologists get paid the big bucks to do their job. Surgery is usually the last treatment option.
Shades of Homer Bailey! The pessimist in me has been waiting for this shoe to drop since ST began. Pitching depth keeps this from being catastrophic, but it’s sure not going to help.
Personally thought it would not have been a bad idea to trade him over the offseason. It’s almost a given that most/all hard throwers are going to go under the knife at some point in their career and this would seem to have been on the horizon in a year or two regardless. He had not one, but two, groin episodes last year that could have altered his mechanics enough to cause an arm/elbow injury.
Hey, if he really thinks he’ll be available for a playoff push maybe we should talk to the Dodgers about a trade. That sounds like their modus operandi.
Whenever I hear MRI, I think of the sage words of Trader Jack McKeon after a particular season: “If you have more MRIs than RBIs, you have a problem.”
Have tried real hard to be the optimist with this guy, but I’m real ready to be done with Hunter Greene. It is ALWAYS something and “dealing with…” and “expected a couple of weeks…” always turns into this guy not seeing the mound from April to August
Agreed dhud. Nothing personal against Hunter. I hoped as much as anyone that he would fulfill his potential but unfortunately he hasn’t. I was on this forum the entire off season lobbying for a trade involving Greene. Now know why teams weren’t interested.
teams weren’t interested…..EVERY team would be interested…he’s not available! EVERY TEAM would STILL want Greene at 8 mil. even after today. what an ignorant stupid thing to say. some of you really amaze me.
Larry- My apologies, I should have worded my statement better. you are correct that many would be interested in Greene. It’s just he wouldn’t or didn’t bring the value the Reds were looking for. Teams always say a player isn’t available when that happens as a PR move. Like it or not Greene’s value is diminished.
I forgive!
My apologies Larry, I could have used better words. You are correct many teams are/were interested in Greene but their perception of value didn’t align with the Reds. Whether we like it or not Hunter’s value is greatly diminished. I honestly believe that if the Reds could have a redo on that draft they would go in a different direction. I
I forgive II
I’ll take the silver lining approach and say losing Greene hurts but you get more innings for Burns and/or Lowder giving one or both of the chance at a breakout. If that happens your biggest strength just got that much better when Greene gets healthy.
Hey, A’s…..Reds fan: LOVE what the A’s are building…by the time Vegas happens,.they’ll be championship contenders. best group of young hitters in a long time. all y’all have to do in the next 2 years is get some arms. I wish my REDS would sign a few guys long term. enjoy the process.
They won’t be waiver wire shopping SA, they have the pitching..
Is it weird that I have been refreshing this app the last few days just waiting for this headline?
It’s like when Homer Bailey would see his shadow every March and it was 6 more weeks of DL
Yes it’s strange. Just set up notifications.
I remember when…it used to be so easy to talk about forever…but used to be’s don’t count anymore. they just lay on the floor till we sweep them away.
greene is electric when hes on the mound. hoping everything comes back clean for him