SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- As far as third baseman Noelvi Marte was concerned, a slightly delayed spring debut isn't going to stop him from being ready for the Reds on Opening Day.

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Marte, who had his camp preparation slowed by a strained right hamstring while playing winter ball, hit the ball hard in his two at-bats during his first game of the spring, a 10-4 loss to the Rockies at Salt River Fields on Saturday.

"Very comfortable out there. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a couple months now. I’m glad to be out there," Marte said via translator Jorge Merlos. "That’ll give me enough time to get out there and be ready by Opening Day."

In the top of the first inning, Marte smoked a ball to the left side that was caught by third baseman Ryan McMahon. In the fourth inning, Marte hit a hard single into center field.

"I went out there trying to make hard contact," Marte said. "I had a lot of passion with it too."

Reds manager David Bell lifted Marte, ranked as Cincinnati's No. 1 prospect and the No. 21 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline, before the bottom of the fourth.

“It was good to have Marte back, he looked good," Bell said. "We didn’t want to do anything crazy on the bases, but he was 100 percent. He’s completely freed up to play his normal game next time out.”

Greene makes second start

Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene allowed two earned runs, two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings against Colorado.

Greene has walked four batters in 4 2/3 innings over two spring starts.

"In Spring Training, he continues to work on things," Bell said. "Too many balls right now, he’s walking a few. He’s got to work towards cleaning that up. He’s not missing by a lot. He’s super close. It’s part of the process.”

Greene feels his progression is on target to be ready for the season.

"I definitely want to be more efficient. Health-wise, strength, power and all that stuff feels pretty good," Greene said.

Greene was the Reds Opening Day starter in 2023, but has not yet been told if he will get the first game again this season. If offered, he definitely wants it.

"That’s the goal," he said. "Honestly, there’s 162 games in the season and that’s one game. I put a lot of pressure on myself last year knowing I was throwing on Opening Day. The more I’ve talked to guys who have thrown tons of Opening Days, the recurring theme is, ‘Hey, it’s one game.’ In Cincinnati, it’s a parade, a tradition.

“I’m always thinking of that first game and being the guy that represents the team and the city.”