Hunter Greene is back but the Reds’ ace conversation has passed him by

The Cincinnati Reds will welcome Hunter Greene back to the bump on Wednesday. The fireballer has been sidelined since June 4 with a groin injury and dealt with a similar ailment back in mid-May. Cincinnati's coaching staff is hopeful that the extra rest will help the right-hander stay off the IL for the rest of the season — something he's struggled with throughout his career.

Upon his return, Greene will be faced with the harsh reality that he's no longer the ace of the Reds starting rotation. Though the term ace is probably tossed around a bit frivolously, if we're to understand that it refers to the best starting pitcher on the team, it's no contest. Andrew Abbott is the Reds' ace.

That's not to suggest that Greene can't reclaim the crown, but his lack of durability raises questions about his ability to lead this rotation — both this season and into the future.

Andrew Abbott has replaced Hunter Greene as the Reds’ true ace

It must be understood that Abbott and Greene are two different pitchers entirely. While Abbott has swing-and-miss stuff, he relies on deception rather than velocity to strikeout opposing batters. Greene is a power-pitcher in every sense of the word, and will use a near triple-digit heater to rack up the Ks.

So while Greene can generate a lot of strikeouts (30.8% K-rate), Abbott pitches to contact. But the Reds lefty owns a 32.4% hard-hit rate (which ranks among the top 6% in the league) and thereby induces a ton of soft contact. This also allows Abbott to go deeper into games, something he's done with regularity in 2025.

Fellow starter Nick Lodolo has been kept out of the Reds' ace conversation — mostly due to the fact that he's spent so much time on the injured list. The southpaw made four separate trips to the IL in 2024, and a blister issue promptly landed him there a little over a week ago. Lodolo has proven time and again that he can't stay healthy, and to this point, neither can Greene.

Abbott went to his first All-Star Game this season and could finish in the top-5 of the NL Cy Young voting. Chase Burns has had an outstanding rookie campaign, and if he's able to build on that in 2026, he'll soon be nipping at Abbott's heels. With those two arms leading the way, it may be difficult for Greene to reclaim the mantle of team ace. His quest to return to the top of the mountain begins tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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