Cincinnati Reds fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of Hunter Greene since he hit the IL in early-June. Nick Lodolo’s injury only poured fuel on the fire. Unfortunately, manager Terry Francona doused the flames with a cautious comment about the Reds’ ace, noting that Greene’s full health comes first. It sounds like the Reds will be slow-rolling Greene’s return which could have major implications for the end of the season.
Considering Greene is now on his second IL stint with the same groin strain, the caution seems merited. His first attempt at a return resulted in three middling outings during which his strike rate fell from 71% to 68% and his opponents’ expected batting average rose from .