CINCINNATI — Hunter Greene, the Cincinnati Reds’ standout pitcher, is set to have an MRI on his right groin Wednesday morning. The decision comes after Greene was taken out of Tuesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers following five innings of play. The Reds emerged victorious with a 4-2 win.
Manager Terry Francona revealed that Greene experienced discomfort during his final pitches in the fifth inning. This isn’t Greene’s first bout with groin issues; he spent 15 days on the injured list last month due to a groin strain from a game against Atlanta on May 7. He noticed the problem while warming up for the fourth inning and called for a trainer.
“It’s not as severe as what happened in Atlanta, but it still caught my attention,” Greene stated. “It’s not alarming, but it is frustrating. My desire is to be on the field competing. As a pitcher, you perform best when you’re consistently in the game every fifth or sixth day. Overcoming these obstacles adds a level of difficulty.”
Greene, who was recognized as an All-Star last year, currently holds a 4-3 record with a 2.72 ERA across 11 starts this season. In the game against the Brewers, the 25-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on five hits, issued three walks, and struck out seven over the course of five innings.
Remarkably, Greene delivered first-pitch strikes to all 23 Milwaukee batters he faced. Data from Sportradar highlights that he is just the second pitcher to achieve a 100% first-pitch strike rate against 23 or more batters since record-keeping began in 2000. Michael Fulmer of Detroit set a similar record against Minnesota in 2017.
Notably, only seven pitchers have recorded a first-pitch strike rate of at least 95%. Nick Martinez from Cincinnati also achieved such a feat, throwing 23 of 24 first-pitch strikes in a game against Atlanta last season.
Reflecting on his performance, Greene said, “I wish I could have finished some of the batters more efficiently. I’ve gone up against these players numerous times. I still managed to throw some excellent pitches, but they made contact. It’s likely because they are familiar with my pitching, but that’s the competitive nature of the game, and it’s something you have to embrace.”