Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is on the injured list with elbow soreness

The Cincinnati Reds’ slim playoff chances likely took a major hit after pitcher Hunter Greene went on the 15-day injured list with elbow soreness. The team announced the move on social media on Saturday.

Greene, 25, had a breakout performance in his third MLB season. The right-handed pitcher was named to the All-Star team for the first time this season, one of two All-Star representatives for the Reds with shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Since the All-Star break, Greene is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA and has pitched his way into National League Cy Young Award consideration.

In 24 starts, he compiled a 9-4 record and 2.83 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 143 1/3 innings. His ERA ranked third among NL starters, while his strikeout total ranked fifth. He struggled with his control, however, walking 53 batters and leading MLB with 19 hits.

The severity of Greene’s elbow issue won’t be known until he undergoes imaging tests, said Nick Krall, the Reds’ president of baseball operations. Greene underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.

“We’ve put him on the IL as a precaution,” Krall said, via MLB.com. “We’re going to get him an MRI in the next couple of days and just try to figure that out.”

Greene felt pain in his elbow while playing catch on Monday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. He started Tuesday and threw seven innings, one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. Greene reportedly felt some discomfort after the start, but said it wasn’t an issue again until Saturday.

At 60-63, Cincinnati sits in fourth place in the NL Central, 11 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. They are 4 1/2 games out of the NL’s final wild-card spot. Still, the Reds faced a tough climb toward a playoff bid, with four teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings — including the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs from their own division.