Hunter Greene Out for 2026 and Most of 2027: What It Means for Reds Pitching
· Yahoo Sports
It was recently reported that Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene will undergo surgery on his right elbow to repair a partially torn UCL. He reported pain in his right elbow after a side bullpen session on Aug. 4 following his July 31 start. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, with Nick Krall saying they were going to get a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
That second opinion led to the decision to have surgery. The expectation is that Greene will miss the rest of the 2026 season and even the majority of the 2027 season, which is a massive, franchise-altering development for the Reds, who recently made moves to shore up their standing as a contender this season and for years to come.
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Given that Greene will miss so much time, which starting pitchers will benefit the most? Who could be impacted? Let’s break it down.
Brady Singer
Singer was expected to be traded at the most recent deadline, as his contract is up with the Reds after this season. However, on the day of the deadline, it was reported that the Reds were going to hold onto him and even planned on extending a qualifying offer to Singer this offseason in hopes of getting him back for the 2027 season.
Now, with Greene out for the majority of next season, Singer all of a sudden becomes a much more valuable and important player. Before Greene’s injury, Singer would have been fighting for the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation with Nick Lodolo. Now, there’s a case where Singer could be the No. 3 starter behind Chase Burns and Andrew Abbott. That $21-$24 million is now more of a bargain for such an important player. It could also incentivize the Reds to sign Singer to a team-friendly extension. Maybe around $12-$14 million per year?
Rhett Lowder
Lowder is on one of the best hot streaks of his career, posting two straight quality starts and three straight starts in which he allowed just two runs. Lowder has allowed just 10 hits over his last three starts, yielding just one hit to the St. Louis Cardinals in five innings of work.
The former first-round pick’s future has been in flux this season. At times, it’s looked like he would inevitably bounce around from the bullpen to the back end of the starting rotation, saving the Reds when they dealt with injuries, which have also negatively impacted Lowder during his career. Now, he projects as a back-end starter in the Reds' rotation.
Nick Lodolo
I’ve said this multiple times: The Reds need to get away from injury-prone starting pitching. With Hunter Greene missing much of next season, the margin of error is basically gone. As long as Nick Lodolo finishes the season healthy, the Reds should entertain trading him. Or, maybe he is moved to the bullpen so the blister is less of an issue.