Reds' relievers step up as Greene (groin injury) awaits MRI exam

ATLANTA -- Just like that on Wednesday night, Hunter Greene's smooth start vs. the Braves came to a grinding halt because of an injury. Now the Reds will be crossing their fingers, hoping their rotation ace won't miss significant time.

Warming up for the top of the fourth inning, Greene made two pitches and signaled to the dugout that he could not continue because of pain in his right groin. The sudden exit took some luster off a Reds' 4-3 victory at Truist Park that snapped their four-game losing streak.

“I felt fantastic tonight. It sucks because the momentum was great," said Greene, who threw 53 pitches. "All of my stuff felt good. ... those first two warm-up pitches, I just felt my groin grab. I just didn’t feel like I would be at my best or be able to really, honestly keep the team in it, continuing to throw if I stayed in."

Greene, 25, pitched three scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and six strikeouts, and he had a 4-0 lead aided by a pair of TJ Friedl solo home runs to right-center field. The right-hander threw 16 triple-digit fastballs and touched 101 mph twice, including on a strike-three pitch to Alex Verdugo for the second out in the bottom of the third inning.

The Reds are sending Greene for an MRI exam in Atlanta on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury.

“We’ll know a heck of a lot more," manager Terry Francona said. "I don’t think anything happening to him is a good thing, but I don’t think it’s bad. Having him leave the game hurts.”

Cincinnati's bullpen had six relievers cover the final six innings, with reliever Brent Suter replacing Greene and pitching two innings with one run allowed on a Drake Baldwin homer in the fifth inning. Emilio Pagán closed it with a one-hit bottom of the ninth inning and two strikeouts for his ninth save.

“Obviously, we were up against it, not what you’d expect coming into a Hunter Greene start," Pagán said. “If Hunter leaves the game, it’s not a good feeling.”

Greene, a 2024 All-Star, is 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA this season. Over his 45 2/3 innings, he has eight walks compared to 61 strikeouts that ranks him third in the Major Leagues.

Injuries have piled up on the Reds lately with position players Austin Hays, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand among those on the injured list. While it remains to be seen if Greene will need to join them, each of his previous three big league seasons were interrupted by IL stints.

• In 2022, Greene missed six weeks with a right shoulder strain.
• A right hip injury cost Greene two months on the IL in 2023.
• Last season, right elbow soreness put Greene on the IL from Aug. 14-Sept. 22.

The Reds entered Spring Training appearing to have superb starting pitcher depth. But that has already been thinned by injuries.

Rhett Lowder, ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from a right elbow strain. Lowder began a rehab assignment on Tuesday with three innings at the Arizona Complex League and he is scheduled to pitch on Sunday for High-A Dayton.

Carson Spiers, who earned a rotation spot out of camp after Andrew Abbott wasn't ready for the season, has been out since April 20 with a right shoulder impingement.

Veteran Wade Miley was signed to a Minor League deal with the expectation he would be ready this month after rehabbing from 2024 Tommy John surgery on his elbow. However, Miley had a setback last month with his own groin injury during a rehab start. The left-hander is scheduled to return to the mound for Dayton on Saturday.

Lowder and Miley likely have several weeks to go before they could be deemed ready for big league starts.

Another starter, Chase Petty (No. 6 prospect), filled in for a start during a doubleheader on April 30. Petty was roughed up for nine runs over 2 1/3 innings in a 9-1 loss to the Cardinals. The good news is Petty pitched six hitless innings in his first start back with Louisville on Tuesday.

"I’m looking forward to going out this next week or so, however long it takes to get back on the mound," Greene said. "Obviously, I’m going to put my best foot forward on making sure I’m putting myself in the best position once I get back out there. Hopefully, I don’t have to miss any starts, but I don’t know what the future holds on this. I have to see what the MRI looks like tomorrow.”