LOS ANGELES – Less than a month after undergoing a second-career Tommy John surgery, Hunter Greene was back in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse this week, his right arm free of any restraint or sling, his spirits apparently high as he hugged and reconnected with teammates.
“Once you do it and get (the surgery) over with, and you’ve got a goal, it kind of helps,” said manager Terry Francona, who chatted with Greene before the opener of this week’s Dodgers series in Los Angeles, where Greene had his surgery and has begun rehab.
That rehab so far has included little more than range-of-motion activity with the repaired elbow. But so far no complications or issues, Greene said.
“It’s progressing well,” said Greene, who declined to discuss details beyond that.
Greene, who underwent elbow surgery for bone chips in March, developed pain in the elbow five starts into his return in July, eventually diagnosed with the more serious damage to the UCL.
The right-hander, who had his first elbow reconstruction as a minor-leaguer, underwent the second Tommy John on Aug. 12.
“It’s kind of amazing nowadays how quickly they get you moving,” Francona said.
The early progress hasn’t changed the original prognosis of 12-18 months for a return, likely sidelining the Reds’ two-time Opening Day starter for all of next season.
Greene, a 2024 All-Star, is in the fourth guaranteed year of a six-year, $53 million contract that escalates from $8 million for this season to $15 million next year.
In his second start of this season, he struck out 12 in seven scoreless innings against the Cubs but gave up 13 runs in 17 1/3 innings over his final three starts and finished 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA in the truncated season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds' Hunter Greene says elbow 'progressing well' since 2nd Tommy John
