Reds should avoid this tempting fix the Mariners embraced when Hunter Greene returns

Hunter Greene made his first rehab start since going on the injured list earlier this spring. The Cincinnati Reds right-hander had been sidelined since before the start of the 2026 season after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery back in March.

Greene was back on the bump on Thursday and went four innings while striking out six batters during an rehab appearance in the Arizona Complex League. His next stop is expected to be a rehab outing with the Louisville Bats next week. He's expected to go at least five innings, and could be knocking on the door of a return to the Reds' rotation.

With Greene's return to the active roster fast approaching, a curious question arises: who will lose their spot in the rotation when he comes off the IL? There are a number of ways the Reds could go, but one avenue they should avoid is the one recently embraced by the Seattle Mariners.

Reds don't need to follow Mariners' complicated "piggyback" rotation

The Mariners, much like the Reds, have six Major League-caliber starting pitchers. Seattle's rotation boasts George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, Emerson Hancock, Bryan Woo, and Logan Gilbert. When healthy, Cincinnati has Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Andrew Abbott, Chase Burns, and Rhett Lowder all ready to take the ball every fifth day.

Earlier this season, the Mariners went with a "piggyback" rotation that involved Miller and Castillo. One pitcher would start the game, and the other would come in relief. Seattle then flip-flopped things the next time through the rotation, meaning the player who started the previous game would come on in relief, and the pitcher who came on in relief would start. Confused yet? Just wait, it gets better.

After complaints arose from both Miller and Castillo, Mariners manager Dan Wilson abandoned the piggyback with just two pitchers, and now, all six are part of this convoluted scheme to share a spot in the rotation. This is just bonkers, and while it certainly allows for all six starters to receive adequate playing time, it will inevitably wreak havoc on the Seattle bullpen.

Teams are limited to just 13 pitchers, and if a club carries six starters, it cuts your relief corps from eight to seven. Given how poorly Cincinnati's bullpen has performed this season, the last thing the Reds need to do is reduce the number of relievers just to accommodate six quality starters.

When Greene returns, the Reds could option Lowder back to the minor leagues, or perhaps move Lodolo into a relief role. Given the likely innings restriction that Burns will be facing as the season moves along, the Reds could find a creative way to reduce his workload, but the Mariners complicated solution shouldn't be on the table.

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