CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene will miss the rest of Major League Baseball’s current season and possibly 2027 after undergoing Tommy John surgery Thursday to repair a ligament in his right elbow.
The team had announced on Aug. 7 that Greene, who turned 27 the day before, would require surgery. The hard-throwing 6-foot-5, 242-pounder also had Tommy John surgery in 2019, when he was in the minor leagues.
The Cincinnati Enquirer first reported the latest surgery for Greene, a Los Angeles native who was selected by the Reds as the No. 2 pick of the 2017 MLB draft and made his debut in the big leagues in April 2022.
Greene is 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA in 27 2/3 innings over five starts this season. Greene, whose most recent appearance was July 31, told the team’s medical staff he experienced soreness during his side throwing session Aug. 4.
Greene began the season on the 60-day injured list after surgery in March to remove bone chips from his right elbow.
In April 2023, Greene signed a six-year, $53 million contract extension with a $21 million club option in 2029.
Greene had two separate stints on the IL last season with a right groin injury limiting him to 19 starts. In 2024, he missed six weeks with right elbow soreness. In 2023, there were two stints on the IL with hip pain.
Despite some trade interest in Greene this summer, the Reds chose to retain him, giving them a formidable one-two punch at the top of the rotation with fellow righty Chase Burns, a 23-year-old former University of Tennessee and Wake Forest standout who made his big league debut in June 2025 and was an MLB All-Star this season.
Burns and Greene both spent time on their way to the majors with the Southern League’s Chattanooga Lookouts, the Double-A affiliate of the Reds. Greene drew attention for a May 2021 performance at AT&T Field in which he threw 37 pitches at 100 mph or faster.
When Greene went on the IL earlier this month, Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall talked about the latest setback for the 2024 MLB All-Star.
“It’s unfortunate for him,” Krall said. “I hate how he’s going through this. He obviously had the bone spurs this off season. He’s had some other stuff throughout the last couple seasons. So, you know, we’re going to get him on the right track and get him back.”