The Reds are placing Hunter Greene on the injured list, MLB Trade Rumors reported, pulling their supposed staff ace out of the rotation again during the stretch run. For a Cincinnati team clinging to postseason hopes, losing Greene's power arm is a real gut punch, and it's also the latest chapter in a health saga that's followed him for years.
Greene barely got his 2026 season off the ground before this. He underwent surgery in March to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, missed all of spring training and the first three-plus months of the year, and didn't make his season debut until early July. That first start back was ugly — 8 runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore — before he settled in with a dominant two-start stretch that reminded everyone why the Reds built around him in the first place.
It's the pattern with Greene: flashes of frontline-starter dominance sandwiched between trips to the training room. He had Tommy John surgery as a prospect back in 2019 and has since dealt with a shoulder strain, multiple groin strains, a hip issue, and now the elbow procedure that cost him half of this season. When healthy, he's been genuinely elite — a 2.75 ERA in 2024 and a 2.76 ERA in 2025 with a strikeout rate north of 31%. Staying on the mound has been the entire problem.
This IL trip also lands at an awkward moment for the Reds' front office. Cincinnati reportedly fielded significant trade interest in Greene from more than a dozen teams — including the Rays, Braves, Phillies, Padres and Blue Jays — before ultimately deciding to keep him and tell suitors he wasn't available. Watching him hit the IL again right after that decision only sharpens the second-guessing.
Greene is still owed real money and years — he's on a six-year, $53 million extension that pays $15 million in 2027 and $16 million in 2028, with a club option for 2029. The Reds are banking on the version of him that dominated in 2024 and 2025 showing up again, not the one who keeps landing back on the injured list. For fantasy managers and Cincinnati fans alike, the timeline for his return is now the thing to watch.