The Reds' ace fireball pitcher Greene will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, expected to be sidelined until July.

The injury history of Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene has added another chapter. The team announced today that the 26-year-old right-hander will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs and loose bodies from his right elbow.

Greene will have the procedure performed tomorrow in Los Angeles by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. His timeline to return to the major league mound is 14 to 16 weeks; if all goes well, he could potentially come back sometime in July.

“Compared to possible outcomes, this is definitely good news. You always fear the worst,” said President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall. “The ulnar collateral ligament appears intact. That’s a positive sign.”

Greene wrote on social media: “It’s important to have the surgery now, rather than trying to push through the injury, which would neither allow me to perform well nor potentially worsen the condition. Believe me, no one is more frustrated than I am.”

“I still have many goals I want to achieve for the team and this city. Making the playoffs was one of last year’s goals, and this year’s goal is to go further! This team is exciting, exceptionally talented, and it will be fun to watch them play.”

Greene felt stiffness in his elbow after his first spring training appearance on February 28 and underwent an MRI last Friday. Team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek made the initial diagnosis, which was confirmed on Tuesday by Dr. ElAttrache, who had performed Tommy John surgery on Greene during his minor league days in 2019.

Greene did not publicly indicate any health issues after that start. “I feel good,” Greene said after allowing four runs in one inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. “I feel strong. It’s still early, but I feel good. The velocity is easy, it feels like just playing catch.”

That proved not to be the case. “You could see it from the last game,” Krall said. “He didn’t throw a single splitter all game. He couldn’t throw his slider either. The issue wasn’t the fastball, it was the secondary pitches.”

Greene’s elbow issues had actually been bothering him since late last season, but they didn’t manifest in his pitching, including during his one-hit shutout victory against the Chicago Cubs on September 18. “He never mentioned it to me,” said manager Terry Francona. “I know he talked to the pitching coach about it. But he always told me he was fine, and I liked his pitching form too. We would never send out a player we believe shouldn’t pitch or play. Sometimes it’s tough. If everyone who said they had a problem sat out, there would be no team. You can’t see inside a player’s body, so it’s indeed a bit difficult.”

In his playoff debut on September 30 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Greene was blasted for five earned runs over three innings, including three home runs, and took the loss.

After the season ended, Greene visited Dr. ElAttrache for an examination, where bone spurs were already detected, but he opted for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection instead of surgery. “He saw Dr. ElAttrache on October 28. At that time, the doctor recommended PRP, an injection, and he accepted it,” Krall said. If he had chosen surgery then, Greene might have already returned this month. The optimism about the injection’s effect faded just before spring training began last month. “He felt good before, but a week before spring training, he said he felt discomfort when throwing his secondary pitches. So we started monitoring closely,” Francona said.

Greene made his MLB debut in 2022 and signed a six-year, $53 million contract on April 18, 2023. However, across five seasons, he has never been able to stay healthy for a full year. In the 2025 season, he twice landed on the injured list due to right groin strains, the second time sidelining him for two and a half months. Last season, he started 19 games with a 2.76 ERA, a 7-4 record, and struck out 132 batters over 107.2 innings. In 2024, a right elbow contusion sidelined him for five weeks; in 2023, right hip pain kept him out for two months; and in 2022, a right shoulder strain caused a six-week absence.

“Obviously, he might also be frustrated that he hasn’t been able to pitch a full season,” Krall said. “We just want to do everything we can to get him back as soon as possible to help the team win.” Krall repeatedly denied trade rumors involving Greene during the offseason, as the team aims to maximize starting pitching depth. It remains unclear whether the elbow issue was also a factor.

If this 2024 All-Star can regain his form upon return, the Reds will bolster their rotation in the latter part of the season. “It’s like acquiring a strong reinforcement at the trade deadline,” Krall said. The team achieved 83 wins last season and successfully advanced to the playoffs, with even greater ambitions for 2026.