The Cincinnati Reds were already dealing with a string of injuries heading into Wednesday night’s game—and things only got worse once play began. Starting pitcher Hunter Greene was dominant early, striking out six batters over three scoreless innings. But as he returned to the mound to begin the fourth, concern quickly set in.
Greene began his warm-up tosses, but was soon met by manager Terry Francona and the team trainer. After a brief discussion, Greene exited the game and walked back to the dugout. Brent Suter was called upon to take over and start the inning.
The Reds soon announced that Greene had left the game due to a right groin injury—marking the third notable health setback for the team that day. Earlier, Noelvi Marte was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain, and Jake Fraley was ruled unavailable due to left calf soreness, per Mark Sheldon of Reds.com.
Update:
After the game, Francona informed reporters that Greene felt a “pop” in his groin. The team will reevaluate him on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury.
If the Cincinnati Reds are forced to place Hunter Greene on the injured list, Chase Petty appears to be the most logical candidate to step into the rotation. While Petty struggled in his big league debut, he bounced back impressively in Triple-A last week, tossing six hitless innings and striking out eight for the Louisville Bats. That performance lowered his ERA to 2.54 across eight starts, a stretch that dates back to the final week of the 2024 season. The 22-year-old right-hander pitched on Tuesday night, which would line him up to take Greene’s next scheduled turn if needed.
Currently, the only healthy pitchers on the Reds’ 40-man roster are relievers. While the team could make a move to add a starter to the 40-man, that seems unlikely given Petty’s strong case. The only alternative worth considering might be Chase Burns, a high-upside arm in Double-A, but Burns has surpassed 61 pitches just once this season and has only pitched into the fifth inning one time—making him an unlikely choice for an immediate starting role in the majors.
The Reds are expected to provide further updates on Greene’s injury after additional evaluation. That timeline will offer a clearer picture of what the club must do within the next five days to keep the rotation on track.