The Cincinnati Reds have reinstated right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene from the 60-day injured list as part of routine postseason roster management, the team announced.
The team also reinstated outfielder Blake Dunn and infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer in the same set of transactions.
In corresponding moves, left-hander Brock Burke, right-hander Brady Singer, and catcher Tyler Stephenson became free agents under Article XX(B), leaving the Reds’ 40-man roster at 38 players.
These reinstatements follow standard Major League Baseball procedures.
Rules require clubs to remove players from the injured lists by deadlines shortly after the World Series concludes (or by mid-October if the Series is canceled), allowing teams to manage the 40-man roster for the offseason.
The move does not mean Greene is healthy or available to pitch.
Greene, 27, remains in recovery from his second Tommy John surgery, performed in mid-August 2026 by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The procedure repaired a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after doctors determined the damage was too extensive for a less invasive internal brace option. Recovery is expected to take 12 to 18 months, meaning Greene is projected to miss the entire 2027 season and is unlikely to return before 2028.
His 2026 season was defined by elbow problems from the outset.
After arthroscopic surgery in March to remove bone chips, he opened the year on the 60-day IL. Activated on July 4 ahead of a start against the Baltimore Orioles, he made five starts and went 2-2 with a 6.83 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts against 9 walks in 27.2 innings.
He flashed his potential with a seven-scoreless-inning, 12-strikeout outing against the Chicago Cubs, but elbow soreness returned in early August. The Reds placed him on the 15-day IL on August 5 (retroactive to August 2) before transferring him to the 60-day IL on August 11.
A former second overall pick in the 2017 draft and a 2024 All-Star, Greene had established himself as a Reds cornerstone with a combined 16-9 record and 2.76 ERA across 45 starts in 2024 and 2025.
Injuries, including his first Tommy John surgery in 2019, have repeatedly limited him. He is under a six-year, $53 million contract extension signed in 2023.
For the Reds, the reinstatement is purely administrative as they prepare for the offseason.
With Greene sidelined long-term, the organization will need to address starting rotation depth heading into 2027 while monitoring his rehabilitation closely.
