Reds ace Hunter Greene leaves spring training with elbow injury worry
Reds ace Hunter Greene leaves spring training with elbow injury worry
Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer Wed, March 4, 2026 at 6:50 PM UTC
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GOODYEAR, AZ − Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene is departing spring training to seek medical evaluations for what the team called right elbow stiffness. Team officials said they expect to have a more full view of Greene's situation by Tuesday, March 10.
Reds manager Terry Francona, along with President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall, told reporters on Wednesday, March 4 that Greene was returning to Cincinnati to see orthopedic surgeon and longtime Reds team doctor, Dr. Timothy Kremchek, on March 6. After that, Greene will consult with Los Angeles-based physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, on March 9 due to the stiffness.
Greene is also expected to have an MRI while in Cincinnati.
Greene started one Cactus League game on Feb. 28. He was scheduled to throw a side bullpen session March 3 and reported some stiffness after he woke up that morning. Krall said there wasn't any report that it was really bothering him prior to that.
"He's just not recovering the way, I think, he's comfortable and the ball's coming pretty good, as we saw, but we need to get this − you're asking the guy to go out there and throw as hard as he can," Francona said. "We need to make sure he's OK, so we'll have information, probably, Tuesday."
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Greene said he'd been dealing with the issue toward the end of the 2025 season and pushed through it in the midst of the team's charge for the playoffs. Greene went 3-1 over his final eight starts in helping Cincinnati reach the postseason.
"My last five or six starts (in 2025), I had elbow discomfort and obviously, playoff push, so I pushed through it," Greene said. "Felt fine in the offseason. Got an injection about a week before spring training started. Discomfort came back so I've been managing it through camp so far, so we're gonna go check it. Get it looked at."
Greene said he had no injury to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). He emphasized his desire to deal with any medical issue as early in the season as possible.
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Francona and Krall said Greene wouldn't throw again this week. They were careful to not speculate on the injury, including Greene's possible availability for Opening Day, although Francona pointed out that missing a week of throwing wasn't advantageous for Greene in terms of Opening Day availability and starting the season on time.
Thursday, March 5 marks three weeks until Opening Day at Great American Ball Park when the Reds host the Boston Red Sox.
"We want to get it checked out, see what it is and we'll have more information for you Tuesday (March 5) after he sees Dr. ElAttrache," Krall said.
Krall said the Reds hadn't reached out to starting-pitcher free agents as a result of the Greene's issue. While there's nothing definitive about what Greene is dealing, the team entered spring training relatively well-situated to absorb an injury to a veteran starter and manage a gap in the rotation if it came to that.
Of course, the starter in question here packs 100-plus mph heat and was in 2025 part of the National League's early-season Cy Young Award chatter. Still, the Reds have liked their depth of starting pitching.
That depth is perhaps most evident in the four-man competition for the fifth spot in the rotation. That race included promising 23-year-olds Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns. Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar, who both have MLB experience and are coming off injury-rehab stints, are also considered candidates for the No. 5 spot.
The 22-year-old Chase Petty made his MLB debut in 2025, ultimately making two starts and appearing three times.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hunter Greene injury update: Reds ace leaves spring training with elbow
Source: “AOL Sports”
