Hunter Greene is ready for his 2026 debut, as the Reds officially activated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list in advance of his planned start tonight against the Orioles. In corresponding moves, Cincinnati designated outfielder Will Benson for assignment and optioned right-hander Chase Petty to Triple-A.
Greene had bone chips removed from his throwing elbow during Spring Training, and the procedure came with a projected recovery timeline of around four months. Things went smoothly enough that Greene was able to make it back just after the start of July, though it is worth wondering if there’s still enough time for the ace to help salvage the Reds’ season. A hot start for the team has given way to an ugly 20-36 record since the start of May, and Cincinnati’s 40-47 mark puts the Reds last in the NL Central.
The Reds are struggling basically in all aspects of the game, and the leaky bullpen and punchless lineup may be larger issues than the rotation. That said, the starting five has naturally missed Greene, who has emerged as Cincinnati’s ace over the last two seasons. This is now two years in a row that Greene has spent an extended amount of time on the IL, as multiple groin strains limited the right-hander to 107 2/3 innings in 2025.
Greene and Chase Burns project as the top two starters for a Reds team that now has a six-man rotation on paper, though the other options aren’t as appealing. Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, and Rhett Lowder have all been inconsistent at best, and Lowder will probably be the odd man out of the starting mix now that Greene is back. The Reds are probably likelier to keep Lowder stretched out as a starter at Triple-A, but conceivably, they could keep him in the majors to help eat some innings of perhaps work as a piggyback starter.
Benson was optioned to the minors two weeks ago, and the DFA indicates that the Reds are willing to cut ties with the outfielder after four seasons with the organization. Acquired from the Guardians in an inter-Ohio trade back in February 2023, Benson hit .275/.365/.498 with 11 homers over 329 plate appearances in his first season in Cincinnati, and looked like a possible breakout player even though he was largely shielded from facing left-handed pitching.
The offense dried up even in a platoon capacity from then on, as Benson has hit only .200/.279/.390 in 755 PA since Opening Day 2024. Benson became a little more redundant once the Reds added another left-handed outfield option in JJ Bleday last winter, and the club’s recent experiments with Matt McLain in center field brought another name into the outfield mix.
Benson just turned 28 a couple of weeks ago, has two remaining years of arbitration control, and he has experience at all three outfield positions even though he grades out as an average defender at best. It is certainly possible another team in need of outfield depth could put in a waiver claim, Benson’s recent lack of offense notwithstanding. His brief stint with Triple-A Louisville appears to have gotten his bat on track, albeit in the small sample of 21 plate appearances.
Because Benson has more than three years of MLB service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency if he clears waivers. If Benson opts into free agency, however, he would have to give up the roughly $850K he is still owed from his $1.725MM salary for the 2026 season. It could be that the Reds are counting on Benson to prefer keeping that salary over testing the market, so the club can keep him as Triple-A depth after an outright.
