Cincinnati Reds have to be concerned with Hunter Greene

Hunter Greene has been one of the more exciting rookies in the game this year. The young Cincinnati Reds pitcher has been lighting up the radar guns, tantalizing with his potential. This is what the Reds were hoping for and part of why they cleared space in their rotation – Greene had the hallmarks of becoming a future star.

That time may end up on hold for the foreseeable future. Greene was pulled after just 66 pitches, leaving the game with one out in the fourth and the bases loaded. Even more alarming was his lack of velocity – his fastball averaged just 95.8 MPH on Friday after averaging 100.2 MPH in his previous outing.

Cincinnati Reds need to be cautious with Hunter Greene

Greene had displayed his potential over his first two starts with the Reds. He had allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits and two walks over 10.1 innings, giving up three homers as he tended to rely more on his velocity than location. It did work at times, as he stuck out 13 batters, but Greene still needed to develop.

It was clear that something was wrong on Friday. Greene not only was dealing with diminished velocity, but he was unable to control his stuff. He allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in those 3.1 innings, hitting a batter and striking out three.

Chances are, Greene will undergo a series of tests as the Reds look to see if there is anything wrong. A stint on the Injured List is likely even if those tests do not show any damage or injuries. However, the Reds need to be cautious with Greene and ensure that he is fully healthy before he takes the ball again considering that he is going to be such a key part of their future.

Hunter Greene gave the Cincinnati Reds reason for concern in his outing on Friday. They have to be certain he is healthy before he touches a baseball again.