Greene dealt with elbow discomfort during the final month of the 2025 season and pitched through it.
“He never told me (directly) any of that,” manager Terry Francona said. “I know he has mentioned it to (pitching coach Derek Johnson). He was always telling me he was good. I liked the way he was pitching. The trainers, we’re never going to send somebody out there if they shouldn’t pitch or play. Ever. It’s hard sometimes. If you sat everybody, you’d never have a team. You can’t see inside peoples’ bodies. It can be a little difficult.”
In October, Greene met with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who recommended a PRP injection.
A week before the start of spring training, Greene felt discomfort again in his elbow. The Reds monitored that, but Greene remained a normal participant in spring training. On Feb. 28, Greene made his spring training debut.
“You could tell,” Krall said. “He didn’t throw a splitter at all. He was having trouble pulling his slider.”
He then left camp for multiple opinions on his elbow. He met with Dr. Tim Kremchek and ElAttrache. Krall said that the two doctors’ opinions agreed on having Greene get the procedure to remove the chips and loose bodies. Greene’s procedure on Wednesday will clean out his elbow. Krall said Greene’s UCL is clean.
Bone chips and loose bodies aren’t uncommon for big league players.
“It’s just the way the game is,” Francona said. “(It happens) over time. I’ve got them.”
Andrew Abbott will start Opening Day for the Reds. Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer give the Reds a top-three in the rotation that still looks good. Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson are competing for the final two spots in the Reds’ rotation.
“We’ve done a better job with our depth,” Francona said.
Burns was one of the most impressive rookies in MLB last year. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft showed elite stuff. He’s still working on his fastball command, but the Reds drafted him with the idea that he could quickly become a frontline starter.
The same can be said of Rhett Lowder, who was fantastic down the stretch in MLB in 2024 before injuries wiped out his 2025 season. Lowder has been the singular standout player in spring training.
Williamson was the Reds’ most consistent pitcher in 2023. While he wasn’t healthy in 2024 or 2025, he’s pitching better now than he did a couple of years ago.
“We’re excited about all three of those guys,” Krall said.
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