Greene opens up about elbow injury, rehab plan

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- For the first time since he underwent arthroscopic surgery last week to remove bone chips from his right elbow, Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene returned to the team complex Tuesday for rehabilitation.

After the procedure, performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Greene will not return to a big league mound for 14-16 weeks -- which puts his timeline into July. Still sporting a large bandage over his elbow, he will recover for six weeks before beginning his throwing program.

"I’d been dealing with discomfort for a while," Greene said. "Over the course of a season and feeling certain things in an area, especially as an elbow … as a pitcher you think that it’s just, ‘Maybe I’m feeling a little inflammation or discomfort,’ and it’s to be expected because we’re pitchers. Obviously, it’s a lot on the body.

"The bone spurs came up as chronic so there’s no timestamp as to when it formed, but it’s been there. It’s still early [after the surgery], so I still feel it and it’s still uncomfortable and swollen. There’s already a lot of freedom in the elbow.”

• How the Reds are built to overcome Greene's injury

Greene said he pitched through soreness in his elbow late in the season and had it checked after the Reds were eliminated from the postseason by the Dodgers.

Although there was an option available to have the chips surgically removed in October -- which would have potentially had him back pitching by this month -- Greene opted to get an injection to try and improve the issue.

Why didn't Greene get the surgery in the offseason?

"Great question," Greene replied. "I think everybody has had experiences with doctors. They know that surgery is never the first option. There’s protocol. The protocol for this was an injection or rest and I did both.

"[ElAttrache] told me that it wasn’t severe enough to get the surgery at the time. And he’s one of the best doctors in the world. I’ve got to trust him. I listened to that, took the advice.”

After taking two weeks off, Greene resumed his offseason throwing program and felt no problems. That changed in February.

"Unfortunately, about a week before camp started, I felt the same discomfort and pain when I was long-tossing at a place where I train in the offseason," he said. "Even though I felt it I was like maybe this is me ramping up again getting ready for the season."

Greene, 26, underwent an MRI after reporting stiffness in the elbow following his one Spring Training start on Feb. 28. Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek made the original diagnosis and it was confirmed by ElAttrache, who performed a 2019 Tommy John surgery on Greene when he was in the Minors.

"It just didn’t make sense to continue to pitch. I was literally feeling a stabbing pain in my elbow every single pitch," Greene said.

In the start on Feb. 28 where he gave up four runs and five hits in one inning vs. the Brewers, Greene still was reaching triple-digit velocity. Speaking to reporters when asked about his health in general, he said “I feel great," and "I’m in a good place right now."

It turned out he wasn't.

"It wasn’t a time for me to say I was feeling that," Greene said. "I was still in a headspace that maybe I can get through this. Maybe I can continue to work and push through the inflammation and push through whatever I was feeling even though I had the bone spurs prior to that game.”

"I think if I would have said that, ‘Oh I’m not feeling good,’ that would have spiraled into a lot of other things. There’s timing with certain things.”

A plan for where Greene will rehab after the Reds break camp is still to be determined.

"We probably need to talk about it. The protocol is to stay here," manager Terry Francona said. “I said hello to him, told him he was being a big baby and to hurry up and let’s go. It’s good to see him. And he’s already in there doing some stuff, so that was good.”

Greene was 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 2025 but set career lows with 19 starts, 132 strikeouts and 107 2/3 innings. He was twice on the injured list for a Grade 1 right groin strain, including one that cost him 2 1/2 months. Entering his fifth big league season, Greene has never had a year without enduring a lengthy IL stint.

"Obviously, I want to get out there," Greene said. "I’m anxious to get back on the field without sacrificing the progression of the rehab.”