Bad news for the Cincinnati Reds as starting pitcher Hunter Greene will undergo surgery to repair a partially torn UCL ligament in his right elbow, ending his 2026 season, and putting 2027 into jeopardy as well.
The star right hander was placed on the injured list on Wednesday due to discomfort in his throwing arm following a side session on Tuesday. After undergoing an MRI and seeking out multiple opinions, the decision was ultimately made to undergo a surgical procedure to correct the problem.
“He felt like he was working through aches and pains of coming back from the bone chips,” manager Terry Francona told reporters. “The other day I grabbed him and said, ‘Hey, I’d love for you to go out and pitch, but I wouldn’t love for you to go out and pitch and worry.’ I said, ‘You’re trying to throw the ball 100 miles per hour with breakoff sliders.’ I said, ‘In my opinion, it would be way easier to get you looked at instead of just hoping.’ And I’m really glad we did because he didn’t want to. I get that. He wanted to pitch.”
The hard throwing righty made just 5 starts for the team this season, recording a 6.83 ERA with 33 Ks across 27.2IP. Still just 27 years old, Greene has already undergone Tommy John surgery once, back in 2019 after suffering a UCL sprain in the minor leagues.
Cincinnati was hopeful that Greene would combine with Chase Burns to create a formidable 1-2 punch atop their rotation. However, a multitude of injuries, including several trips to the IL last season and a delayed start to 2026, have largely hampered those plans for the Reds.
An All-Star in 2024, Greene is about as talented as they come when healthy, averaging 11.2 Ks per 9 innings over the course of his 5 year career. Currently in the 4th year of a 6 year, $53M extension, the former number 2 overall pick will now face a lengthy recovery period depending on whether the surgery is another Tommy John procedure or simply adding an internal brace to his elbow.
Photo: Minda Haas Kuhlmann. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.