Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene has undergone a second Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and potentially all of the 2027 season, according to multiple reports. Greene previously had the same procedure in 2019.
Reds pitcher Hunter Greene undergoes second Tommy John surgery, out through 2026 and potentially 2027
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene has undergone a second Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and potentially all of the 2027 season, according to multiple reports. Greene previously had the same procedure in 2019.
The Reds had already known Greene needed elbow surgery, but the specific finding of a torn ligament requiring Tommy John reconstruction was not confirmed until the operation was performed. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said last week, according to MLB.com, 'The ligament was failing. It's going to be some sort of procedure around the ligament. It is not going to be known until they go in, have the surgery and then find out what's inside.'
Greene, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, has been limited to 96 career starts across five seasons because of recurring injuries. He made only 19 starts last year and five this year, having begun the 2026 season on the injured list after arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He posted a 6.83 ERA this season.
Greene may not return to the mound until 2028. Outcomes for pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery twice have been mixed; the source cites Jacob deGrom as a pitcher who returned successfully and Walker Buehler as one who has not performed at his prior level.
Greene is in the fourth year of a six-year, $53 million contract. The Reds recently signed rotation partner Chase Burns to a $105 million extension. The richest free-agent contracts in the franchise's history are a pair of four-year, $64 million deals, signed by Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos. The team also pursued Kyle Schwarber this offseason before he returned to the Philadelphia Phillies.
- The source does not state the exact date the surgery was performed.
- The source does not state the name of the surgeon or the medical facility where the procedure took place.
- The source does not include any statement from Hunter Greene himself.
- The source does not specify the precise contractual or roster implications for the Reds following the surgery.
- The source does not state whether the 2027 timeline is an official team estimate or a general medical projection.
Read the original at New York Post