Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is ready to return to the mound, with the right-hander scheduled to make his first appearance of the season Saturday evening against the Baltimore Orioles.
Greene has been on the shelf since March, when he underwent a procedure to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. The recovery kept him out of action for several months before he began working his way back through the minor leagues.
During his rehabilitation, Greene made three starts across two minor league levels, covering 14 1/3 innings without allowing a single run. He struck out 13 batters, gave up just five hits, and issued only two walks during that stretch.
His most recent outing came Sunday for Triple-A Louisville, where he tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while striking out four and walking nobody. He threw 82 pitches in that start.
Reds skipper Terry Francona indicated the team has no plans to hold Greene back when he takes the hill Saturday. “I think he’s strong enough (and) stretched out enough, healthy enough, where we’re going to get him back, not just in name only, but in production also,” Francona said.
Greene, 26, was selected second overall by Cincinnati in the 2017 draft. Over four major league seasons, he has shown glimpses of elite talent, compiling a 25-29 record with a 3.65 ERA across 91 career starts, while racking up 617 strikeouts in 495 2/3 innings pitched.
Last season, Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts, though he was slowed by groin injuries. The year before that, he posted a 9-5 record with a 2.75 ERA over 26 starts and earned a spot in the National League All-Star Game.
The Reds are hoping Greene can remain healthy and team up with fellow right-hander Chase Burns to form a formidable one-two punch at the top of their rotation. Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, has been one of the best pitchers in the National League this year, going 10-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 17 starts. The 23-year-old has struck out 116 batters in 97 2/3 innings.
