The Cincinnati Reds have lost ace Hunter Greene not only for the rest of the 2026 season, but likely all of 2027 as well.
Greene underwent his second Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, Aug. 13, after doctors discovered the damage to his right elbow was too extensive for them to opt for a less-invasive internal brace procedure that could have allowed him to return to action for the second half of next season.
The expected recovery time for the full elbow reconstruction is 12-18 months, which would probably mean he wouldn't return to the mound until the start of the 2028 season.
Greene, 27, is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, but injuries have been a problem for him throughout his major league career.
He has never made more than 26 starts or pitched more than 150⅓ innings in any of his five seasons with the Reds. He hit both of those career highs in 2024, when he went 9-5 with 169 strikeouts and a 2.75 ERA. That success earned him his only All-Star berth and an eighth-place finish in the NL Cy Young balloting.
Greene was shut down during spring training and had surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow.
He allowed eight runs in 3⅓ innings when he made his season debut in June, followed by a fantastic second start against the Chicago Cubs − tossing seven scoreless innings and struck out 12. However, the elbow soreness soon returned and the Reds put him back on the injured list at the end of the month with a 2-2 record and 6.83 ERA.
Hunter Greene contract
Greene signed a six-year, $53 million extension with the Reds in 2023. Scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the 2029 season, Cincinnati has a $21 million team option for 2029 with a $2 million buyout.
- 2026: $8.3 million
- 2027: $15.3 million
- 2028: $16.3 million
- 2029: $21 million (club option, $2 million buyout)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Greene injury update: Reds All-Star likely out until '28 after Tommy John