Reds prospect Hunter Greene highlights Chattanooga Lookouts roster

The Cincinnati Reds will send two of their top prospects to Double-A Chattanooga to begin the 2021 minor league season. Hunter Greene, along with fellow first-round pick Nick Lodolo, will begin the season with the Chattanooga Lookouts.

The minor league baseball season begins in just a couple days. After last year’s cancellation of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, fans all across the United States are tickled to see their favorite minor league clubs return to action. For Greene, it’s a step in the right direction, as the left-hander has his eyes on making the Reds roster later this season.

The Reds assign Hunter Greene to begin the season with Chattanooga Lookouts.

Greene hasn’t pitched in a professional game since his season was cut short in 2018 by elbow soreness, which eventually resulted in Tommy John surgery. Had there been a minor league season in 2020, we likely would’ve seen Greene return to the field.

However, due to the global pandemic, minor league baseball cancelled their 2020 campaign and Greene was forced to work on his craft at the Reds alternate site in Mason, Ohio. He was not alone, as another first-round pick, Nick Lodolo, got some work in at Prasco Park as well. Both pitchers will begin the 2021 season as part of the Chattanooga Lookouts starting rotation.

Along with Greene and Lodolo, the Lookouts will also send Connor Curlis, Matt Pidich, and Randy Wynne to the hill every fifth day. Among the relievers starting the season at Double-A are former first-round pick Nick Howard and Reiver Sanmartin, a left-hander who acquired from the New York Yankees in the deal that brought Sonny Gray to Cincinnati.

Reds’ prospect José García is on the Chattanooga Lookouts roster as well.

On the position player side of things we have José García; a player many scouts and fans have dubbed the shortstop of the future. Leonardo Rivas, the second baseman who was picked up from the Los Angeles Angels in the deal for Raisel Iglesias, will also be among the starting infielders for the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2021.

Narciso Crook is probably the most well-known of the group who’ll patrolling the outfield grass at AT&T Field. The Lookouts full roster is sitting at 28 players with five starters, 10 relievers, six infielders, four outfielders, and three catchers.

How Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo handle the rigors at Double-A Chattanooga will go a long way toward their eventual promotion to the Cincinnati Reds 26-man roster. I have to squint pretty hard to see Greene making his big league debut in 2021, but that’s strictly because he’ll likely be on an innings restriction. Lodolo could be a September call-up.