CINCINNATI -- Hunter Greene is an exceptional talent, but he is ready to make pitching the primary showcase for that talent.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 Draft, as well as the Reds' No. 2 prospect, visited Cincinnati on Saturday and said that pitcher will be his position moving forward. When Greene was drafted, he said he hoped to play shortstop as well.
"I've always loved hitting and pitching," Greene said prior to the Reds' game against Pittsburgh at Great American Ball Park. "But they drafted me as a pitcher, and my primary focus is pitching."
Greene made three appearances for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League with a variety of results. He worked a scoreless inning, then surrendered six runs while getting only one out, then allowed only one unearned run over three innings. He struck out six and walked one over 4 1/3 innings.

"I definitely have to work on all of my secondary pitches, my fastball command, and being able to pitch into the seventh or eighth [inning] and come out of it still feeling good," Greene said.
In seven games as a designated hitter with Billings, Greene was 7-for-30 (.233) with a double, a triple and three RBIs.
"Hey, [Cincinnati] is an NL team, so I still get to hit," Greene said. "I'm excited to be able to keep the bat."
Greene visited Oktoberfest and the Reds Hall of Fame and spoke to players enrolled at the P&G Cincinnati MLB Youth Academy before getting to meet some of the Reds' big league players. His next stop will be at Instructional League in Arizona.
"We think extremely highly of him," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Everyone gets reminders it's a hard game, and he got his. But his next outing, he was sensational. From what we've seen, he's very savvy and mature."
"I still have a long road to go," Greene said. "I have a lot of work to do."
Worth noting
• Price said right-hander Tyler Mahle will be shut down after working 164 1/3 innings this season, including four big league starts. Also, righty Amir Garrett will be removed from the rotation and work with pitching coach Mack Jenkins to help determine the cause of his recent struggles.
• Right-handers Jackson Stephens and Rookie Davis will replace Mahle and Garrett in the rotation. Stephens will start Tuesday vs. St. Louis, and Davis will take the mound on Wednesday.
• Injured right-hander Drew Storen (elbow) has met with physicians and is "considering options," Price said, but he will not pitch in the immediate future.