Reds' Hunter Greene to have season-ending surgery for torn UCL

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene will undergo season-ending elbow surgery for a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after receiving a second opinion, per ESPN's reporting. Greene, 27, was placed on the injured list Wednesday after experiencing soreness during a side session on Tuesday and subsequently visited specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.

The surgery represents the second significant arm procedure for Greene in 2026. He began the season on the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgery in March to remove bone chips from his right elbow, also performed by Dr. ElAttrache. Greene made his season debut on July 4 and compiled a 2-2 record with a 6.83 ERA across five starts before being sidelined.

Reds president of business operations Nick Krall confirmed the ligament damage in a statement, saying "The ligament was failing. It's going to be some sort of procedure around the ligament." Krall added that doctors would "go in there, find out what it is and go from there," indicating the exact surgical approach has not yet been finalized. He would not speculate on Greene's availability for the 2027 season.

Manager Terry Francona said Greene "was working through aches and pains of coming back from the bone chips" and credited his recommendation to seek medical evaluation rather than "just hoping" the soreness would resolve. Francona told Greene, "You're trying to throw the ball 100 miles per hour with breakoff sliders," and noted that Greene initially resisted the evaluation but the team proceeded in the player's interest.

The injury continues a pattern of health setbacks for Greene since his 2022 debut. He had Tommy John surgery in 2018, per ESPN. Last season, Greene sat out six weeks with right elbow soreness after earning his first All-Star selection in 2024, and he was limited to 19 starts because of separate stints on the injured list from a right groin injury. In 2023, he had two stints on the injured list because of hip pain. Greene hasn't made more than 26 starts in any season since his debut in 2022.

Despite trade interest in Greene this summer, the Reds retained the right-hander. Greene signed a six-year, $53 million contract extension in April 2023 with a $21 million club option in 2029 and was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft. The Reds maintain All-Star right-hander Chase Burns as part of their rotation.