Reds fans relieved after Terry Francona provides Hunter Greene injury update

Hunter Greene exited his start early against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night due to a potential groin injury, but manager Terry Francona downplayed it in the postgame, which has Cincinnati Reds fans feeling better.

"He felt a grab not a pop. They'll get it looked at in the morning and get much more info then. For now, they don't think it's bad," Francona said after the game. An MRI will take place Thursday to determine the severity of the injury and next steps.

Two warmup pitches into the fourth inning, Greene felt discomfort in his groin area and immediately told the training staff. After a short discussion on the mound, Greene handed the ball to Francona and exited the game. This move could purely prove cautionary, but Reds fans were holding their breath regardless.

"I felt fantastic tonight ... in that top of the fourth, those first two warmup pitches, I felt my groin grab. I didn't feel like I'd be at my best or honestly keep the team in it by continuing to throw," Greene said. While the optimism could prove a positive sign, the Reds are known to be secretive about injuries, which creates mass uncertainty and distrust.

Reds fans anxiously away Hunter Greene MRI results after untimely exit

The 25-year-old flamethrower is no stranger to injuries in his young career. Two seasons after being drafted second overall in 2017, the former two-way high school star underwent Tommy John surgery. Greene bounced back but has dealt with multiple injuries since, notably missing the last month and a half of last season with elbow soreness, which thankfully didn't turn into anything worse.

Although the Redlegs have elite pitching depth, they've been ravaged with injuries up and down the organization. This middling Reds club cannot afford to lose their ace during another dominant season. Greene has posted a 2.36 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 45 2/3 innings thus far, and could contend for the treasured Cy Young award if he remains healthy.

Even if a short IL stint is required to bring Greene to back to 100%, that's a win in this scenario. Reds fans will anxiously await the MRI results and hope the superstar is good to go long term.