Hunter Greene's Second Tommy John Surgery Changes Reds' 2027 Plans

Hunter Greene spent most of this season trying to return from elbow surgery, and another operation will keep him out through all of 2027.

The Reds learned after Wednesday's procedure that he needed a second Tommy John surgery, which ended the chance that an internal brace could shorten the recovery.

Recovery is expected to take 12 to 18 months, so Cincinnati has to build next year's rotation without penciling Greene into a late-season spot.

Gordon Wittenmyer gave the timeline Thursday when he wrote, “Hunter Greene update: Reds All-Star required a second Tommy John surgery yesterday. 12-18 months. To miss all of next year."

Cincinnati now has to start its winter pitching plan with Greene unavailable for the entire season.

Greene's first Tommy John surgery came in 2019, and this operation followed a March procedure that removed bone chips from the same elbow.

He returned in July and made five starts before soreness sent him back to the injured list after his July 31 outing.

His 2.76 ERA across 19 starts in 2025 showed the level Cincinnati hoped to get back this summer.

The Reds received five starts from him, and his next year will be spent working through another long rehab.

The rotation now has a full-season opening near the top.

Cincinnati entered this year trying to keep extra pressure off Chase Burns, and Greene's injury makes that job harder because Burns is already carrying a large share of the innings.

Andrew Abbott had already taken the Opening Day assignment after Greene's first setback, and his 2.87 ERA over 29 starts last season gives Cincinnati another starter it can trust.

The Reds still need more depth because injuries can expose a thin rotation long before September.

That work has to begin with a starter who can cover a real 2027 workload.

Cincinnati can't count on Greene returning during the season, and a short bridge deal would leave the same problem waiting if another arm goes down.

The innings can come from a deeper group, though that approach works only if the club enters spring training with enough healthy starters to handle the injuries that arrive during a full season.

One more reliable starter would keep extra work from landing on Burns and Abbott when the schedule starts to wear on the rotation.

The early work this spring moved much faster.

Greene resumed throwing 37 days after his March procedure and returned to the mound in July, while the new estimate puts his next major league start at least a year away.

Greene should get the time his second ligament replacement requires, even if Cincinnati is still looking for rotation help late next season.

Once the throwing program begins, his elbow can set the pace through each new step without a return month hanging over the work.

The long stretch of treatment begins before Greene can start throwing again, and Cincinnati won't know much more until his elbow is ready for that step.

Early in that process, even a routine medical update will offer more useful information than a guess about his place in a future rotation.