The Reds have fielded an All-Star starting pitcher Hunter Greene on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness, the team announced. The club does not plan to take any such action before today’s game against the Royals at Great American Ball Park.

Greene, 25, was absolutely dominant in his last start, holding the Cardinals to four hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out eight players and walked just one. However, he reportedly felt soreness in his elbow after the outing (per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The pain temporarily subsided, but returned today while catching. President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall told Goldsmith that the stay on the injured list is currently a precautionary measure and that Greene will need an MRI before the team can decide on further steps.

The young flamethrower underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in 2018. While his elbow has remained healthy since then, Greene spent several weeks on the IL in 2022 with a shoulder strain and in 2023 with hip pain. Finally, 2024 seemed to be the year he would get it all together. His star potential had long been evident, but he finally produced star-level results with a 2.83 ERA in 143 1/3 innings pitched, which is a career high. Unfortunately, his excellent season has now been put on hold. It’s unclear how serious the problem might be, but it’s obviously concerning when a hard-throwing pitcher with a history of UCL issues goes on the IL with elbow pain.

More to follow …