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Although the Cincinnati Reds aren't expected to have ace Hunter Greene back for another two months, Tuesday's milestone offered the clearest sign yet that the wait may finally be nearing its end.
Greene threw his first bullpen session since undergoing elbow surgery in March, marking another checkpoint in a recovery process that has largely gone according to schedule. The right-hander shared this milestone via his Instagram story.
Reds manager Terry Francona said before Tuesday's game that the right-hander threw roughly 15 to 20 pitches during the session, according to Mike Petraglia of CNLS Cincy.
The bullpen was Greene's first time throwing off a mound since undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow on March 11. At the time of the procedure, Greene was expected to miss roughly 14 to 16 weeks, with a return sometime in July.
Greene began throwing again last month and had progressed to long toss after a couple weeks. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Francona said Greene had reached 110 feet in his throwing program in late April and expected him to throw a bullpen after three weeks. He may have been a week off, but that won’t take anything away from the significant strides Greene made in April.
Despite those strides, Cincinnati will remain cautious of rushing back its ace. Francona noted there wouldn't be any drastic changes in Greene's return, with plenty more bullpen sessions, live at-bats and rehab assignments in his future.
“That’s his first time, first side today. Other than it’s really kind of cool to see him throw a side, that’s not going to impact or tell very much,” Francona said via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. “He’s got some work to do.”
He'd be smart to take that approach. When healthy, Greene has proven to be one of the best young pitchers in the National League. An All-Star in 2024, and likely would've made it back-to back in 2025 if not for a groin injury that sidelined him for three months.
Thankfully for the Reds, the absence of their ace hasn't derailed the hope of competing in the NL Central. Chase Burns has assumed the No. 1 role quite nicely with a 1.83 ERA thus far — and if Monday's quality start out of Nick Lodolo is any indication of what's to come, the Reds' rotation could be one to look out for after the All-Star break.
Although Greene's progress should be taken day-by-day, it's hard not to look ahead.
A rotation that already appears to be finding its footing would look considerably different with its ace back at the front of it. Tuesday's bullpen session does not guarantee anything beyond that day's work, but it does move Greene one step closer to making that possibility a reality later this summer.
Continue reading...
Greene threw his first bullpen session since undergoing elbow surgery in March, marking another checkpoint in a recovery process that has largely gone according to schedule. The right-hander shared this milestone via his Instagram story.
Reds manager Terry Francona said before Tuesday's game that the right-hander threw roughly 15 to 20 pitches during the session, according to Mike Petraglia of CNLS Cincy.
The bullpen was Greene's first time throwing off a mound since undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow on March 11. At the time of the procedure, Greene was expected to miss roughly 14 to 16 weeks, with a return sometime in July.
Greene began throwing again last month and had progressed to long toss after a couple weeks. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Francona said Greene had reached 110 feet in his throwing program in late April and expected him to throw a bullpen after three weeks. He may have been a week off, but that won’t take anything away from the significant strides Greene made in April.
Despite those strides, Cincinnati will remain cautious of rushing back its ace. Francona noted there wouldn't be any drastic changes in Greene's return, with plenty more bullpen sessions, live at-bats and rehab assignments in his future.
“That’s his first time, first side today. Other than it’s really kind of cool to see him throw a side, that’s not going to impact or tell very much,” Francona said via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. “He’s got some work to do.”
He'd be smart to take that approach. When healthy, Greene has proven to be one of the best young pitchers in the National League. An All-Star in 2024, and likely would've made it back-to back in 2025 if not for a groin injury that sidelined him for three months.
Thankfully for the Reds, the absence of their ace hasn't derailed the hope of competing in the NL Central. Chase Burns has assumed the No. 1 role quite nicely with a 1.83 ERA thus far — and if Monday's quality start out of Nick Lodolo is any indication of what's to come, the Reds' rotation could be one to look out for after the All-Star break.
Although Greene's progress should be taken day-by-day, it's hard not to look ahead.
A rotation that already appears to be finding its footing would look considerably different with its ace back at the front of it. Tuesday's bullpen session does not guarantee anything beyond that day's work, but it does move Greene one step closer to making that possibility a reality later this summer.
Continue reading...
