Greene '100 percent' optimistic he'll return to finish season
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PHILADELPHIA -- On the heels of his bullpen session in Pittsburgh on Sunday, starting pitcher Hunter Greene and the Reds were optimistic that he will be able to return and finish his rookie season.
“How I feel now: 100 percent,” Greene said on Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
“Oh yeah. That’s definitely the goal,” Reds manager David Bell said.
Greene threw 25-30 pitches and used his full repertoire.
“My pitches felt good. Most important, my body felt good. It was just a good step forward,” the right-hander said. “I’ve been building up with catch-play, making sure that I’m working on all of my pitches that I need to work on. I tried not to skip a beat.”
Greene, 23, was placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 5 (retroactive to Aug. 2) because of a right shoulder strain, and he resumed a throwing program last week. He is scheduled to throw another bullpen session on Wednesday and if all goes well, he will face hitters in live batting practice on Saturday.
A rehab assignment would likely follow. A big league return would likely happen by mid-September -- if there are no setbacks.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Bell said.
In 20 starts this season, Greene is 4-12 with a 5.26 ERA and 127 strikeouts over 102 2/3 innings. His professional career high was 106 1/3 innings, set last season in the Minors.
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Graham Ashcraft, another rookie starting pitcher, is already well past his career-high innings total. Ashcraft, who made his Major League debut on May 22, has thrown 125 2/3 innings this season -- including 93 innings over 16 big league starts -- after reaching his previous high of 111 in the Minors last season.
The Reds have not formally announced an innings limit for Ashcraft, but it would likely be a stretch for him to finish the season. Fellow rookie Nick Lodolo, who missed over two months with a right back strain this year, should be on track to pitch the rest of the way, along with veteran Mike Minor and Justin Dunn. Reliever Luis Cessa, who started on Monday vs. the Phillies, could remain as a starter as he continues to build up his pitch count.
But if both Greene and Ashcraft are not in the rotation in September, the Reds would have to turn to pitchers at Triple-A Louisville to help them get through the final month of 2022.