The Cincinnati Reds made some roster moves this morning before their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hunter Greene, who left last night’s start after the 5th inning when he experienced some soreness in his right groin, was placed on the 15-day injured list. The club also signed left-handed pitcher Wade Miley to a big league contract. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for him the Reds moved right-handed pitcher Rhett Lowder to the 60-day injured list.
Let’s start with Hunter Greene. Last night was just his third start back from a groin strain that he suffered in early May in Atlanta. The injury happened during the final few pitches of the 5th inning, though he didn’t mention it to anyone until the inning was over and he was in the dugout. After the game manager Terry Francona mentioned it during his meeting with the media and it came as a surprise to everyone. Greene then spoke to the media in the clubhouse and didn’t seem too concerned about the injury but did have an MRI this morning and it seems that whatever they saw was enough to give him some time off.
With the way the schedule works out with off days, the Reds could in theory go with a 4-man rotation for all 15 days in which Greene is on the injured list if he were to miss the minimal amount of time. But that seems unlikely at this point given that they went out and signed Wade Miley….
Miley, who had signed with Cincinnati before the season, spent the past seven weeks pitching in the minor leagues for the Reds. He was coming off of Tommy John surgery and didn’t get back on the mound until late April when he began a rehab assignment with the High-A Dayton Dragons. After three starts there he moved up to Triple-A Louisville where he made four more starts.
On his rehab and in his time in the minor leagues things did not go well for the most part. In his three starts in Dayton he gave up 10 runs on 13 hits – including four home runs – in 5.2 innings. Things went a little better in Louisville, but he was hit or miss there. In his first start he allowed three runs in 3.0 innings on six hits. The next time out he threw 5.0 shutout innings in a rain-shortened complete game. The following start he didn’t get out of the 1st inning, giving up four runs on five hits in just 0.2 innings. His final start saw him allow two runs in 5.0 innings on six hits and three walks.
Miley had an opt-out in his contract for June 1st and he was informed by the team that they didn’t have room for him in the rotation. That led the lefty to opt out to see what else was out there for him. Two days later what was out there for him was a big league deal with the Reds who suddenly had a need for a starting pitcher.
Rhett Lowder, who missed the start of the season with an elbow injury, is going to be out for a while at this point. While his elbow is doing better and allowed him to go on a rehab assignment in May, he suffered an oblique injury in one of his starts in the minor leagues and had to be shut down and he’s going to miss plenty of time with that injury.
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