Reds Ace Hunter Greene Undergoes Second Tommy John Surgery, Out for Remainder of 2026 and Likely Much of 2027

Hunter Greene, a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, a second ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction that ends his 2026 season and is expected to keep him out for most, if not all, of 2027.

The Reds said Friday that Greene would undergo elbow surgery, but the exact procedure was not publicly known until after the operation, according to MLB.com. The latest setback comes seven years after Greene’s first Tommy John surgery in 2019, when he was in the minor leagues.

Greene’s 2026 season had already been shaped by elbow trouble. Around March 11, he underwent arthroscopic surgery in Los Angeles to remove bone chips and loose bodies from his right elbow. At the time, Greene said, “I’d been dealing with discomfort for a while.”

After that procedure, Cincinnati placed Greene on the 60-day injured list. He began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on June 23 and was activated from the injured list on July 4, appearing to put him back in line to help anchor the Reds’ rotation in the second half.

Instead, his elbow issues resurfaced quickly. Greene reported soreness during a side bullpen session on Aug. 4. He saw Reds orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek the next day and underwent an MRI, then sought a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Aug. 6.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said Greene had been dealing with soreness even before that bullpen session. “He said he was sore off and on for a couple of weeks,” Krall said, according to MLB.com.

The result is a major blow for Cincinnati. When healthy, Greene has been the Reds’ ace, and losing him for the rest of this season and likely most or all of next year leaves the club without its top starter for an extended stretch.

Greene, 27, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and made his major league debut in 2022. But injuries have been a recurring part of his career. According to MLB.com, he has landed on the injured list in each of his five major league seasons.

His best year came in 2024, when he made 26 starts, threw 150 1/3 innings and struck out 169 batters in his only All-Star season. He followed that by going 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts in 2025, with 132 strikeouts.

Now, the focus shifts back to recovery. For Greene, this latest elbow injury is not just another injured-list stint but a second Tommy John surgery, one that wipes out the rest of 2026 and is expected to cost him most, if not all, of 2027.