Overview
- The Cincinnati Reds confirmed Friday that ace Hunter Greene has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will have season-ending surgery next week.
- Team officials say the exact operation will be decided during surgery, with options ranging from an internal brace that typically needs about 12 months of recovery to a full Tommy John reconstruction that commonly requires about 14 months.
- Greene returned from arthroscopic elbow work in July and made five starts, posting a 6.83 ERA and 1.373 WHIP across 27.2 innings before renewed soreness prompted an MRI and a second opinion in Los Angeles.
- Losing Greene removes Cincinnati’s top internal rotation option for the rest of 2026 and is likely to push the club to pursue starting-pitching help in the offseason to fill innings and protect their playoff window.
- Greene has a prior Tommy John surgery in 2019 and multiple arm procedures this year, and the next operation will shape both his personal recovery outlook and the Reds’ roster decisions for 2027.