Hunter Greene Is Heading to the Mound. The Reds Might Finally Have Their Ace Back.

The Cincinnati Reds just made a move that suggests their best starting pitcher is just about ready to rejoin the rotation. Hunter Greene, who hasn’t thrown a big-league pitch all year because of an elbow injury, is officially headed out on a rehab assignment. The team announced the decision Thursday.

Greene hurt his elbow before the regular season even started. At the time, the Reds said a July return was possible. That timeline is looking pretty realistic right now, assuming he doesn’t hit any snags during these rehab outings.

It’s hard to overstate what Greene means to this rotation. The guy has been flat-out dominant when healthy. In 2024 he posted a 2.75 ERA, made the All-Star team and finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting. He followed that up with a 2.76 ERA in 2025, even though he was limited to 19 starts. That’s two straight seasons of elite production from a 26-year-old who throws absolute gas.

Obviously the key phrase is “when healthy.” Greene’s history with arm trouble is part of his story at this point. He made only 19 starts last season. He’s already missed the first two-plus months of this one. But when he’s on the mound, he looks like a legitimate frontline starter. The kind of guy who can anchor a staff and change the whole feel of a series.

What the Rehab Assignment Actually Means

Sending a player on a rehab stint means the clock is ticking toward activation. Greene will pitch in the minors for a while, build up his pitch count and get his feel back. If everything goes smoothly, he could be back with the Reds inside a couple weeks. But the team has every reason to be cautious here. One setback and this whole thing gets pushed back again.

In other roster news, the Reds also sent righty Pierce Johnson out on a rehab assignment. They outrighted catcher PJ Higgins to Triple-A and selected the contract of catcher Will Banfield from Triple-A before immediately optioning him back down. That’s just procedural depth shuffling, but it shows the front office is paying attention to the margins.

Can the Reds Actually Make a Run?

Cincinnati sits at 35-38 as of this writing, which puts them in last place in the NL Central. That’s not great. But it’s also not insurmountable. The Reds started the season hot before going through a rough stretch. The division is winnable for a team that gets hot at the right time.

Getting Greene back would be huge. It would give the Reds a legitimate ace to lead the rotation and take pressure off everyone else. But let’s be real — they need more than just one guy. The offense has been inconsistent. The bullpen has had its moments but isn’t exactly dominant. Greene alone won’t fix everything.

That said, it’s a start. A big one. And it’s coming soon.

Next up for Cincinnati is a three-game series against the New York Yankees starting Friday. No word yet on whether Greene will be ready for that, but it seems unlikely. More realistic to look for him in early to mid-July, assuming no hiccups.