As he continues his recuperation from a groin issue that has plagued him since early May, the Cincinnati Reds have sent right-handed starting pitcher Hunter Greene to join the Triple-A Louisville Bats rotation tonight.
Greene was warming up for the fourth inning on May 7th while pitching in Atlanta when he felt something in his groin and had to leave the game. After being placed on the 15-day injury list, he missed the bare minimum of time before making his comeback to pitch on May 23 against the Chicago Cubs. After that, he would also make two starts.
During his start against Milwaukee at Great American Ball Park, Hunter Greene felt something in his groin again. No one outside the team knew right away because he finished the fifth inning and only mentioned it once he returned to the dugout—at that point, the Reds called for a reliever. From the outside, it looked like a routine decision to pull him after 85 pitches and five innings, especially since he was just coming back from an injury.
The Reds then put Greene back on the injured list and said this time he’d be out longer to make sure the issue was fully resolved. He didn’t pitch in a rehab game for over seven weeks. Just six days ago, he made a rehab appearance in Arizona, throwing two no-hit innings with one walk and four strikeouts for the Arizona Complex League Reds.
The Bats want him to pitch four innings tonight as he advances to face Triple-A batters. They are traveling to Omaha, where the game is set to begin at 8:05 p.m.
He could be able to return to the Reds rotation if he can finish four innings and feel well for the next few days. The pitch count he’s dealing with, however, may determine if they want to give him another start in the lower leagues after that. We’ll just have to wait and see how things work out there.