4 biggest surprises on the Cincinnati Reds 2022 Opening Day roster

While nothing has become official yet, for all intents and purposes the Cincinnati Reds 2022 Opening Day roster is set. Several names are quite familiar. Joey Votto, Tyler Mahle, and Nick Senzel are all back for the 2022 season.

But there are a lot of changes as well. The front office made several trades this offseason. Sonny Gray, Amir Garrett, Eugenio Suárez, Tucker Barnhart, and Jesse Winker are not going to be part of the Reds Opening Day roster this season.

A slew of injuries has also rocked the Cincinnati clubhouse this spring. The team's ace, Luis Castillo, will open the season the Injured List. Offseason pickups Donovan Solano and Mike Minor will also be placed on the IL to begin the 2022 season.

With all the transactions and injuries, the Cincinnati Reds are bound to have some surprises on their Opening Day roster. Last season's biggest surprise might have been the addition of eventual NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India to the starting lineup. Which players on the Reds Opening Day roster are the biggest surprises?

1. Hunter Greene, Reds right-handed pitcher

Admit it, you're surprised to see Hunter Greene on the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster. Greene, the team's top prospect, could have easily been deemed "not yet ready for the major leagues" and the Reds could have manipulated the right-hander's service time with an eye toward keeping the 22-year-old under team control for an extra year.

But instead, Greene will make his major league debut on Sunday against the Atlanta Braves. The flamethrower is one of the most exciting prospects Cincinnati has had since Jay Bruce debuted in 2008. If he reaches his ceiling, Greene has franchise-altering potential and can lead the Reds rotation over the next five years.

I, for one, am stunned that Hunter Greene will be breaking camp with the Cincinnati Reds. Had it not been for injuries to Luis Castillo and Mike Minor, that might not have been the case. But Reds fans are about the witness the former first-round pick make his big league debut in just a few days. Get ready for the radar gun to be reading triple-digits on a regular basis.