Hunter Greene likely out until July in brutal injury news for Reds' Cy Young contender
Greene will have surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow
The Cincinnati Reds suffered a major blow on Tuesday, as they learned 26-year-old ace right-hander Hunter Greene will be sidelined until July. Greene on Wednesday will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies from this throwing elbow, the club announced. The procedure typically carries with it a recovery period of 14 to 16 weeks.
The news comes days after Greene's spring training was interrupted for an MRI on his elbow. Greene had reported stiffness in his elbow following his first Cactus League outing of the spring.
Greene, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 Draft, rose as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, and over the last two seasons in Cincinnati has pitched like a true frontline starter. Last season, Greene was limited by a groin injury but still put together a 4.4 WAR for the year. In 19 starts and 107 ⅔ innings, Greene in 2025 pitched to a 2.76 ERA and struck out 132 batters with just 26 walks. Perhaps the hardest-throwing starting pitcher in baseball, Greene last season averaged 99.5 mph with his fastball. The 2024 season marked Greene's best work to date, as he had an ERA+ of 160 in 150 ⅓ innings. For those efforts, he earned his first All-Star selection and finished eighth in the National League Cy Young vote.
Speaking of which, Greene going into the 2026 season had been tied for the fourth-highest Cy Young odds in the National League (via Caesars). At +1100, Greene had been tied with Chris Sale of the Braves and trailing just Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies, Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers, and reigning winner Paul Skenes of the Pirates. This surgery, though, effectively eliminates Greene from the running.
The loss of Greene for the opening months of the season also does significant harm to the Reds' hopes of making a second straight postseason appearance. Given their penny-pinching ways and the fact that Greene will, barring setback, manage a partial season, the Reds seem unlikely to pursue one of the few notable free agents remaining such as veteran starter Lucas Giolito. Instead, Cincy figures to try to cover Greene's innings internally with a rotation that goes something like this:
- LHP Andrew Abbott
- RHP Brady Singer
- LHP Nick Lodolo
- RHP Brett Lowder
- RHP Chase Burns
The 23-year-old Burns has real breakout potential in 2026, and the Reds will need that to manifest if they're to withstand the loss of Greene and contend in the NL Central.
