Cincinnati Reds ace pitcher Greene to undergo MRI for right elbow stiffness

Cincinnati Reds ace pitcher Hunter Greene reported stiffness in his right elbow earlier this week and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday, Beijing time. Manager Terry Francona disclosed this news today. Greene woke up feeling discomfort yesterday, and the team has arranged for an examination to be conducted by team physician Dr. Timothy Kremcheck for evaluation.

Francona stated that Greene will not resume throwing until at least next Wednesday, by which time the team expects to have more information. He will also seek a second opinion from Los Angeles-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Greene's Tommy John surgery in 2019.

Francona said Greene's "recovery hasn't progressed to a point he's satisfied with," though the team is unsure when the issue began. The right-hander decided not to participate in his scheduled side session on Wednesday due to the discomfort, prompting the Reds to proceed cautiously.

"We need to figure this out," Francona said. "When you're going to have this guy out there pitching full effort, you need to make sure he's okay."

Greene has pitched only one inning in spring training, allowing four runs last Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers with no strikeouts and one walk.

The 26-year-old Greene has a history of injury struggles. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, his 2022 rookie season was interrupted by a shoulder strain. He missed two months in 2023 with right hip pain, and spent five weeks on the injured list in 2024 with an elbow contusion. In 2025, he suffered two right groin strains, pitching only 107.2 innings.

"I don't want to speculate; it's too early for that," said Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall. "We'll get the issue addressed first."

The Cincinnati Reds still have several pitchers competing for rotation spots in spring training camp, including Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, Julian Aguiar, and Brandon Williamson.