An upcoming MRI could go a long way toward determining whether the Reds can be a surprise NL playoff entrant once again.
Cincinnati ace Hunter Greene will undergo an MRI due to right elbow stiffness that has plagued him since the end of last season, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Greene told reporters that he does not have any UCL damage but has bone spurs, per Charlie Goldsmith, and will separately meet with with Drs. Timothy Kremcheck and Neal ElAttrache.
He’s unsure if he will be ready for the start of the season.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Greene said, per Goldsmith.
“If something has to be done, it’s early and we’ll get it out of the way quick and can have the big chunk of the season. If we have a playoff push, I’ll be ready to go.”
Any type of elbow issue is always problematic for a pitcher, although there’s at least the positive development — as of now — that his UCL is fine.
Greene said he has “stuff floated around” that will have to be managed, per Goldsmith.
The 26-year-old told reporters that he experienced what he labeled as discomfort in his last five or six starts last year while the Reds chased down and passed the Mets in the NL Wild-Card race.
“It was a playoff push, so I pushed through it,” he said, per Goldsmith.
He said he felt fine in the offseason, though he received an injection, and has “been managing” the situation through the early portion of camp.
Reds manager Terry Francona added that Greene just hasn’t been recovering as expected, according to Goldsmith.
“It makes sense to do it now. I know I have bone spurs. As of now, there’s no UCL damage. Hopefully it’s just that and we get that taken care of and I can get back out there,” Greene said, per Goldsmith. “We have one of the best staffs in baseball. I’m a big part of that. I want to go out there and compete with the guys. Hopefully I can still make a good amount of starts and not miss a really good chunk of the season and most importantly the playoff push. Hopefully this is quick. I still have to check with the doctors.”
Greene is coming off a 7-4 campaign in which he posted a 2.76 ERA, and has notched that same ERA spanning his last 45 starts over the past two seasons.
For his career, the former No. 2 pick has averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
He anchors a quality Reds rotation that also features Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer and Chase Burns, among others, but losing Greene for a stretch would be a tough blow.
Despite the potential absence, Reds president of baseball operations Nic Krall said the team will not begin engaging with available starting pitchers, per Goldsmith.
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