The Cincinnati Reds were dealt a horrible update on Hunter Greene on Thursday morning.
Greene only pitched in five games this season before being placed on the 60-day injured list with right elbow soreness.
The 27-year-old clearly was not his usual self in those outings, pitching to a 6.83 ERA with 33 strikeouts, nine walks and a 1.37 WHIP across 27 2/3 innings.
This is a far cry from his performance over the past two seasons, where he pitched to a 2.75 and 2.76 ERA in 2024 and 2025, he had become the true ace pitcher the Reds were looking for.
It was unfortunately announced on Thursday that Greene has had his second Tommy John Surgery (first in 2019) and will miss the remainder of the 2026 MLB season as well as the entirety of the 2027 season.
The former All-Star will miss 12-18 months.
With Greene's injury, the Reds will not have to face a tough development regarding their starting pitching.
Without their clear ace in Greene, they will need to find someone to fill in that role for the next season and a half (at least).
The clear option is Chase Burns, who has pitched wonderfully in 22 starts this season, posting a 2.61 ERA with 143 strikeouts and 46 walks across 124 innings.
The only issue here is that Burns is still adjusting to the league, his last seven starts he has posted a 3.99 ERA, while still above-average, he is experiencing a rough patch.
It will be a tough dilemma for the Reds to figure out how to fill the shoes that Greene left in that rotation.
