Cincinnati Reds fans received ominous news on Wednesday with word from manager Terry Francona that ace Hunter Greene is set to have a specialist take a look at his elbow.

Greene, 26, spoke to reporters later in the day and said that his ulnar collateral ligament is intact.

“I had this toward the end of the season last year in my final five or six starts,” Greene said (via Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19). “I had elbow discomfort. It was a playoff push, so I pushed through it. I felt fine in the offseason. I got an injection. About a week before spring training starter, the discomfort came back. I’ve been managing it through camp so far. We’re going to check it and get it looked at.”

A native of Los Angeles, Greene will be shut down for at least a week and meet with both Reds team doctor Timothy Kremchek and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team physician for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams.

Greene, who has made a single appearance with one inning of work during spring training, was set to embark on his fifth season in the majors and hopes his absence won’t be a long one.

“It makes sense to do it now,” Greene said. “I know I have bone spurs. As of now, there’s no UCL damage. Hopefully it’s just that and we get that taken care of and I can get back out there. We have one of the best staffs in baseball. I’m a big part of that. I want to go out there and compete with the guys. Hopefully, I can still make a good amount of starts and not miss a really good chunk of the season and most importantly the playoff push. Hopefully, this is quick. I still have to check with the doctors.”

The second overall selection of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, Greene made 19 starts in 2025. He was 7-4 with a 2.76 earned run average and WHIP of 0.938 over 107.2 innings pitched. He struck out 132 batters and walked 26.

With Greene unavailable, the Reds will roll with a five-man rotation including Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder.

The Reds open up their regular season on Mar. 26 at home to the Boston Red Sox.