Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene will miss the remainder of the 2026 season and potentially all of the 2027 season after undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery, according to multiple reports. Greene, 27, previously had the procedure in 2019.

The discovery that Greene required another Tommy John surgery is a significant setback for both the player and the franchise. "The ligament was failing," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said last week, as reported by MLB.com. "It’s going to be some sort of procedure around the ligament. It is not going to be known until they go in, have the surgery and then find out what’s inside."

Greene, the second overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, has been hampered by injuries throughout his career, limiting him to 96 starts over five seasons. Last year, he made only 19 starts due to injuries. This season, he managed just five starts after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow and beginning the year on the injured list.

Greene experienced soreness and initially attributed it to his previous elbow surgery. However, he realized something was still amiss as he posted a 6.83 ERA this season. He may not return to the mound until 2028. The outcomes for pitchers who undergo two Tommy John surgeries are mixed; Jacob deGrom is cited as a success, while Walker Buehler has not returned to his previous form.

This development is a blow to the Reds, a team that has not historically made large investments in premium free agents. The largest free agent contracts in franchise history are two four-year, $64 million deals awarded to Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos. The team also pursued Kyle Schwarber in the offseason before he re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Reds had envisioned Greene and Chase Burns as cornerstones of their rotation. Now, the responsibility will largely fall on Burns. The team has already extended Burns with a $105 million contract, while Greene is in the fourth year of a six-year, $53 million deal. This surgery raises questions about Greene's future impact, particularly given his high draft status.