The Cincinnati Reds (63-68) are off on Monday before a three-game series with the Oakland A’s. The 2024 season has been marred by injuries left and right and the rotation has been especially affected. Frankie Montas, Hunter Greene, Nick Martinez, Andrew Abbott, and Graham Ashcraft started the first turn through the rotation. Montas is with the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade deadline deal. Greene is injured. Martinez was moved to the bullpen but then had to jump back into the rotation with these injuries. Abbott is injured. Ashcraft is injured. Add in Nick Lodolo (who spent time on the IL) and the Reds have been through it.
Greene, smartly, got a second opinion on some elbow inflammation he was experiencing following his August 13 start. Considering he lost his entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery, the Reds and Greene had to be cautious. As it turns out, an MRI revealed that his ulnar cruciate ligament that he had repaired looked “fantastic” and he was just experiencing some inflammation due to a bruise. Initially, the best-case scenario was to have Greene back and pitching by the end of this week. Now, Greene isn’t going to get back to pitching until the inflammation subsides and gave about a two-week window. And that’s not saying he’s going to jump right back into the rotation, either. He’d need to ramp back up with a rehab start just to be sure.
There are five weeks left of the Reds’ season. Take away the two weeks Greene is out plus the better part of a week when he’s on a rehab stint and he would likely return with two weeks to go, give or take. Is it worth it at that point?
