Reds Beat: Hunter Greene To Have Bone Spurs, Loose Bodies Removed Wednesday From Right Elbow, Out Until July

The Reds finally got the news they were expecting on Hunter Greene on Tuesday.

The 26-ace right-hander will be out until at least July while recovering from elbow surgery set for Wednesday in Los Angeles. The good news is that Greene will not require the dreaded “Tommy John” UCL reconstruction surgery he went through in 2019, a procedure that sidelines most pitchers for 15-18 months. Instead, team president of baseball operations Nick Krall announced Tuesday that Greene will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and “loose bodies” from his right elbow.

The Reds have set an initial timeline of full recovery at 14 to 16 weeks, hoping for return to the rotation in July. Team doctor Timothy Kremchek gave the initial diagnosis last Friday in Cincinnati while Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed it on Monday.

Krall indicated that the UCL ligament was in “good shape” and Wednesday’s procedure was not related in any way to the more serious issue in the elbow. Last week, Greene revealed that the discomfort actually dates back to the final month of the 2025 season. Tuesday, the Krall indicated that specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache recommended a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to deal with the soreness last fall to help Greene push through the discomfort and pitch in the postseason. It was hoped that would also lead to a smooth offseason.

Greene pushed through the soreness last September to aid the Reds’ successful wild-card bid, during which he went 2-0 with 38 strikeouts. Greene reported feeling fine until the stiffness resurfaced a week before the start of spring training.

The clean out or “scope” follows a period of persistent right elbow stiffness that began during his first Cactus League outing on Feb. 28, when he was tagged for four runs and five hits in just one inning against Milwaukee. While initial MRI results and evaluations by Dr. Kremchek and specialist Dr. ElAttrache confirmed there is no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), the presence of bone fragments necessitated surgery.

Manager Terry Francona had already officially named Andrew Abbott as the Opening Day starter for the March 26 matchup against the Red Sox before Tuesday’s news.

The loss of Greene is a significant blow to a rotation that relied on his elite velocity—his four-seam fastball averaged 99.5 mph last season, leading the major leagues. In 2025, he posted a 2.76 ERA across 107.2 innings despite being limited by separate groin strains.

1. Andrew Abbott (LHP): Opening Day starter. 2025 All-Star with a 3.33 ERA last season.
2. Nick Lodolo (LHP): Coming off a strong 2.87 ERA in 2025.
3. Brady Singer (RHP): Veteran presence and “innings eater” acquired from Kansas City; posted a 4.03 ERA in 169.2 IP in 2025.
4. Chase Burns (RHP): 2024 #2 overall pick; electric arm topping 100 mph; struck out 10+ in 4 of his first 8 career starts. Looks strong in spring.
5. Rhett Lowder (RHP): Coming off injury-riddled 2025. Has been dominant this spring (1.13 ERA in 8 IP).

On top of that, the Reds have lefty Brandon Williamson (returning from Tommy John), Julian Aguiar, and Chase Petty in the wings.

Starting Pitchers (5):
LHP Andrew Abbott
LHP Nick Lodolo
LHP Brady Singer
RHP Rhett Lowder
RHP Chase Burns

Relievers (8):
RHP Pierce Johnson
LHP Caleb Ferguson
LHP Brock Burke
LHP Sam Moll
RHP Tony Santillan
RHP Kyle Nicolas
RHP Emilio Pagan
RHP Connor Phillips

Catchers (2):
Tyler Stephenson
Jose Trevino

Infielders (6):
1B/OF Spencer Steer, 2B Matt McLain, SS Elly De La Cruz, 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, 1B/2B/DH Sal Stewart, DH/3B Eugenio Suarez

Outfielders (5):
CF TJ Friedl, RF Noelvi Marte, OF JJ Bleday, OF Will Benson, OF Dane Myers