Ace Hunter Greene is set to make his season debut for the Cincinnati Reds during their upcoming series against the Baltimore Orioles, manager Terry Francona confirmed.
Greene is slated to start either Friday or Saturday at Great American Ball Park, with the final decision expected by Tuesday. He said he anticipates pitching during the Orioles series, targeting July 3 or 4 for his return. Greene just wrapped up a four-start rehab assignment, finishing with a dominant 6 1/3 shutout innings against Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate. St. Paul. He threw 82 pitches in that outing, striking out four and issuing no walks.
Across his four rehab starts. Greene delivered 14 1/3 scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits, walking two, and striking out 13. His fastball averaged 98.6 mph in his two Triple-A appearances, a sign his arm strength is back. For a Reds team desperate for stability. Greene’s return at near full strength couldn’t come at a better time.
Greene underwent arthroscopic surgery on March 11 to remove bone chips and spurs from his right elbow. The original recovery timeline pointed to a July return, and the club is activating him at the early end of that window. Cincinnati’s rotation has struggled to keep the ball in the park, ranking 17th in ERA and allowing the third-highest home run rate in MLB since May 1. Greene’s power pitching is exactly what the Reds need to address that glaring weakness.
Cincinnati started hot, going 20-11 through April. Since then, the wheels have come off: a 17-33 record, better than only the Rockies over that stretch. The bullpen has been the league’s worst for two months, and the rotation hasn’t picked up the slack. Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder have kept their ERAs respectable but can’t seem to limit home runs. Brady Singer, after a brutal start, teased a turnaround in June before stumbling again. Nick Lodolo missed the first month and now owns a 5.05 ERA over 10 starts. Amid the chaos. Chase Burns has emerged as a rare bright spot, showing flashes of top-tier potential alongside Greene.
Greene’s track record speaks for itself. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he posted a 2.76 ERA and a 29.2 percent strikeout rate across 45 starts, ranking sixth in run prevention and tenth in strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 200 innings in that span. For his career. Greene is 25-29 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.140 WHIP in 91 starts. When healthy, he’s among the league’s best, and his return gives the Reds a legitimate weapon as they try to claw back into the playoff picture.
The Reds trail by 12.5 games in the division. The Wild Card race, though, is tighter: they’re five games out, but six teams stand in their way. Whether Greene can stabilize the rotation and offset the bullpen’s woes remains the big question. Francona and Greene both voiced confidence that the right-hander’s fresh arm and proven track record will make an immediate difference. Greene put it simply: he plans to “hit the ground running” and “go as deep as possible in each game.”
Greene’s return coincides with closer Emilio Pagán coming off the injured list, giving the Reds reinforcements at both ends of the pitching staff. As Cincinnati enters a pivotal stretch. Greene’s high-octane fastball and strikeout ability could be the spark that keeps their postseason hopes alive.
