Could Hunter Greene return from the IL by Aug. 10? News on the Reds Opening Day starter plus updates on Rhett Lowder and Carson Spiers.
WASHINGTON – A few updates and observations on the Cincinnati Reds pitching depth as we stare intently at team president Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador for any signal they might be about to land the left-hander they need for the bullpen:
Hunter Greene
Greene, the Reds’ Opening Day starter has pitched just three times since a Grade 1 groin strain first sidelined him May 7, but he could be back on track for a return to the mound in two or three weeks, barring another setback.
Greene was to start a minor-league rehab assignment July 23 with a two-inning start for the Reds’ Arizona Complex League rookie club, then travel to Omaha to join Triple-A Louisville for at least a couple more rehab starts.
Manager Terry Francona had no projected timeline or prescribed number of rehab starts to offer as the team opened a three-game series in Washington this week. “We just want him to be OK,” he said.
Two starts for Louisville could mean a return sometime during the Aug. 7-10 road series against the Pirates, barring setback, for Greene (4-3, 2.72 ERA,, 11 starts).
Rhett Lowder
The talented young right-hander, who dazzled during a six-start debut last season (1.17 ERA), was finally cleared to start playing catch this week after being shut down almost two months since suffering a severe oblique strain while on a rehab assignment following a forearm strain.
It’s a long shot that Lowder is able to return and help the Reds down the stretch, but the team isn’t ruling it out.
“It’s one of the things we don’t want to do,” Francona said. “Even if he doesn’t pitch for us, we want him to prepare, because, one, maybe he pitches for us, but, two, if he (doesn’t and) goes home, he can have a semi-normal winter.”
Carson Spiers
The right-hander who opened the season in the rotation as the club waited out the slow-played buildup of Andrew Abbott underwent an MRI on Monday for the biceps soreness that prompted his rehab assignment to be paused over the weekend.
Results were not immediately available.
Spiers, a valuable swingman over the past year, has been on the IL since April 20 because of a shoulder impingement.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Carson Spiers: Injury updates on pitchers
Category: Baseball
