'He's going to be OK': Greene (right groin strain) to be placed on IL

ATLANTA -- In what was viewed as a good outcome by the Reds under the circumstances, rotation ace Hunter Greene was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain in his right groin after undergoing an MRI exam on Thursday.

Greene will be placed on the 15-day injured list in the coming days, but there was no roster move by Cincinnati ahead of its four-game series finale at Atlanta.

“It’s not terrible but it’s going to be an IL placement though, because we need him to miss maybe a start or two," manager Terry Francona said. “We’re kind of still talking through some things. With Monday off, we want to talk through it a little more. We’ll have some information [Friday].”

Greene had pitched three scoreless innings during Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Braves but felt something in his groin while warming up for the bottom of the fourth inning. He signaled to the dugout that he could not continue and exited the game.

“You don’t want to miss him for even a day but all things considered, he’s going to be OK. We’ve got to take care of him," Francona said.

The 25-year-old Greene, a 2024 All-Star, is 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA this season. Over his 45 2/3 innings, the right-hander's 0.81 WHIP ranks him second in the Major Leagues while his 61 strikeouts are ranked third.

Francona and the Reds have not named a starting pitcher to replace Greene, with his next turn to pitch likely coming on Tuesday vs. the White Sox at Great American Ball Park.

Because of logistical issues that Francona did not explain, a reliever was not immediately called up to take Greene's roster spot on Thursday.

One potential option to fill Greene's rotation spot is right-hander Chase Petty, who is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati's No. 6 prospect and No. 97 overall.

Petty was summoned from Triple-A Louisville for an April 30 doubleheader and pitched in Game 2, a 9-1 loss. The right-hander was tagged for nine runs over 2 1/3 innings but threw six hitless innings on Tuesday in his first start back for Louisville.

Under MLB rules, Petty must remain in the Minors for at least 15 days -- unless he is replacing an injured player.

Among the position players, the Reds are waiting on outfielder Jake Fraley as he deals with tenderness at the top of his left calf. Fraley underwent an MRI on Wednesday.

“The best way to describe it is like a burning sensation," Fraley said. "It’s like a searing burn in that muscle. The MRI showed bleeding in the muscle. The way they put it was it was a disruption of the muscle fiber. Basically, I stretched it as far as it could go without actually tearing it -- which is the good news.”

Fraley, who is considered day to day for a return, was first injured on Tuesday running out a groundout vs. the Braves. He hit in the cage and did some running on the field Thursday afternoon and was hopeful that a trip to the IL could be avoided.

“I think I’ll be good," Fraley said. "It’s day to day right now, but I’m trying to convince Tito to get me back in the lineup in Houston. We’ll see after the plane ride if it makes it sore.”