The Cincinnati Reds boast quite a bit of pitching depth right now. They have Hunter Greene, Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo headlining their rotation, and all three have been excellent so far this year. Andrew Abbott has been great since returning from injury, and Nick Martinez has flashed his consistency again this season. Rhett Lowder is slowly making his way back from injury, too.
But the Reds could have been dealt a crushing blow on Wednesday night. While warming up for the fourth inning in a game against the Atlanta Braves, Greene called for the training staff. The righty would eventually leave the game after three excellent innings of work with a groin injury.
It's hard to tell if this injury is going to keep the Reds' ace on the sideline for long, but there's a good chance he hits the IL in the near future even if it's only for the minimum two weeks.
With Lowder not ready to return just yet and top prospect Chase Burns still a few months away from a big league debut, the Reds might turn back to one of their other top prospects to replace Greene.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Chase Petty is the answer if Hunter Greene lands on the injured list
A few weeks ago, nobody would have argued that Petty wasn't the next man up in the Reds' rotation. Petty has been dominant in Triple-A, especially as of late. But he received the call to the big leagues for a start late last month and it was a disaster: The righty allowed seven hits, two walks, two home runs and nine earned runs in 2.1 innings against the Colorado Rockies. He gave Cincinnati no chance to win the game, and it probably left a sour taste in Reds fans' mouths.
But with Greene likely hitting the IL, Petty is the clear top choice to replace him. To further his odds of being the next man up again, Petty tossed six innings on Tuesday while allowing no hits, no runs and striking out eight hitters. He's on Greene's timeline, making him a natural fit for that rotation spot if need be.
In all likelihood, his horrendous debut with the Reds could be chalked up to nerves and being a bit overwhelmed by the big moment. A step up to the big leagues is a huge deal, and not everybody handles it in the same way.
Petty has the talent and he's seemingly ready for his second chance in the big leagues.