CINCINNATI — Reds ace Hunter Greene took another step forward in his recovery from a groin injury that’s kept him on the injured list for the past two weeks.
“The velo is great,” Greene said after throwing 35 pitches in a bullpen session. “Easy 95. Nothing in my groin. All good.”
Greene is scheduled to throw another bullpen session later this week while the Reds are in Pittsburgh for their series against the Pirates. The team has yet to announce a specific timeline for his return from the injured list.
“It’s been good,” Greene said. “I’ve hit all of my checkpoints. I’m looking forward to getting out there.”
While Hunter Greene is one of the Reds’ most important players, the team has largely managed to weather his absence from the rotation.
Greene sustained the groin injury during a series against Atlanta, though Cincinnati bounced back to win that game. In his place, the Reds turned to Chase Petty — their No. 6 prospect and the No. 90 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline. However, Petty has faced some early struggles, allowing four runs in his MLB debut against the Cardinals on April 30 and giving up another four runs over three innings against the Astros on May 11.
Chase Petty was originally scheduled to start on Saturday, but Reds manager Terry Francona opted instead for a bullpen game. The strategy paid off, as relievers Brent Suter and Lyon Richardson combined to allow just one run over five innings, helping the Reds secure a 4-1 win over the Guardians. Petty did not appear in the game.
He was, however, available out of the bullpen for Sunday’s series finale.
