Reds nightmare grows as Hunter Greene surgery news stuns fans

After learning that Hunter Greene was going to see two different doctors last week, Cincinnati Reds fans expected that he'd miss the beginning the season. But few assumed he'd be out of action until July.

According to USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale, Greene will be sidelined until July following arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies from his right elbow. The procedure is scheduled for Wednesday.

This is a brutal blow for a Reds team with playoff aspirations heading into the upcoming season. Greene was assumed to be the team's Opening Day starter, but that honor has since fallen to left-hander Andrew Abbott. With Greene out of commission, it'll be up Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, and a host of young arms to keep the Reds afloat until their ace returns.

Reds starter Hunter Greene sidelined for several months due to elbow surgery

Greene's durability has a point of contention for fans since he was drafted in 2017. Before making his big league debut in 2022, Greene underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, which caused him to miss the entire 2019 season. After arriving in the Major Leagues, Greene battled injuries in 2023 (hip), 2024 (elbow), and 2025 (hamstring).

When he's on the mound, Greene is an All-Star caliber pitcher. Last season, he went 7-4 in 19 starts with a 2.76 ERA and logged 132 punch outs over 107⅔ innings of work. The ERA and strikeouts are terrific, but that doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you barely clear 100 inning pitched.

Reds manager Terry Francona and Director of Pitching Derek Johnson will now be tasked with piecing together a starting rotation without having their best arm available for next four months.

Thankfully, Cincinnati clung to Singer despite attempts from other teams to pry him away in a trade this past winter. The Reds also have an abundance of depth, but there's certainly concerns surrounding Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Julian Aguiar — all of whom missed time due to injury last season.