Reds right-hander Hunter Greene is out for the season after suffering a UCL sprain in his right elbow, the team announced Friday. He was placed on Single-A Dayton’s disabled list and is expected to begin rehab at the Reds’ facility in Goodyear, Arizona, though it’s not yet clear what timetable has been set for his return to the mound.
Greene, 18, was ranked no. 2 in the Reds’ system by MLB Pipeline this year. An infielder-turned-full-time-pitcher, the right-hander was selected in the first round of the 2017 draft and pitched to a 3-7 record in 18 starts at Single-A, carrying a 4.48 ERA, 3.0 BB/9 and 11.7 SO/9 through 68 1/3 innings. This appears to be the first major setback of his professional career to date, and hopefully one that won’t jeopardize his future going forward.
The team gave no indication of the severity of the sprain, though it doesn’t appear to be pointing the righty toward Tommy John surgery — at least for the time being. While it looks like the Reds will take every precaution to get Greene back on track, manager Jim Riggleman told reporters that he wasn’t surprised to see the talented young pitcher felled by the injury: “You almost figure it’s gonna happen,” he said. “It happens to so many of them that I’m not in the least bit surprised.”
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