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The Big Pod Machine: Reflecting on Bristol and Hunter Greene’s pitching

Reds Beat Reporter Gordon Wittenmyer and Sports Reporter Pat Brennan discuss the current state of the Cincinnati Reds.

PITTSBURGH, PA − Hunter Greene is finally returning to the Cincinnati Reds, and he’ll be tossed right into the fire of the playoff race against one of the National League’s frontrunners.

Prior to the Reds’ Aug. 10 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Terry Francona said Greene would workout in Cincinnati Aug. 10 and pitch in the club’s Aug. 13 series finale against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Greene last pitched June 3 and has had two stints on the injured list due to a right groin injury.

In a rehab start Aug. 8 with Triple-A Louisville (five earned runs allowed on two hits, 79 pitches thrown in five and 1/3 innings), Francona said Greene held his velocity throughout the entire game.

“I think we know who he is. His pitches aren’t gonna chance,” Francona said. “Just gotta build into − you know, I think it’s a nice, I don’t want to say safety net, but it’s a good feeling when you know, ‘I’m out there and I can go 100 (pitches). I’m ready to go.’ He’s probably not there yet.”

There are other roster moves that will likely be take shape in the coming days as a result of Greene’s return.

Francona said the club was still working through the next steps for rookie Chase Burns, who has so far been a starter for the Reds but has been discussed as a possible candidate to go to the bullpen where he could be a weapon for Francona.

Nick Martinez, who started Aug. 9 and pitched seven innings in earning the win for Cincinnati, could also return to the bullpen role he was briefly in following the trade-deadline acquisition of Zack Littell. Then, Nick Lodolo was lifted early from his Aug. 4 start at Wrigley Field due to a blister. Lodolo ended up on the 15-day injured list and that pressed Martinez back into the rotation.  

So, Lodolo is also part of the equation, as is the fact that the Reds have a much-needed off day Aug. 14 following the Phillies series. 

“We got Thursday off, so, and Burns’ day (to start) is Wednesday, too,” Francona said. “We need to work through that. There’s a lot of things to work through. It’s a valid question. There’s just a lot of ‘either-or’s’ that you just don’t know yet.”Â