Hunter Greene

Partial UCL tear confirmed; surgery scheduled imminently. Whether Greene needs full Tommy John or an internal brace won't be known until surgeons get in. Either way he will not pitch again in 2026 and his 2027 availability is uncertain. He made just 27.2 IP this season with a 6.83 ERA.

Greene will undergo season-ending surgery for a partially torn UCL, his second UCL procedure after a 2019 Tommy John. He has been on the IL since Aug. 2 (retroactive) after elbow soreness ended his season at 27 2/3 innings and a 6.83 ERA. Recovery timeline is 12–14 months from surgery, meaning he faces an uncertain return for much of 2027.

Greene began a minor league rehab assignment Thursday in the Arizona Complex League — his first live pitching since undergoing bone-chip removal surgery from his right elbow before the season. He has not thrown a single MLB inning in 2026. That context cuts both ways: it creates uncertainty, but it also means some managers have already dropped him for more immediate returns. In 2025, Greene was a legitimate SP2 with triple-digit velocity and a double-digit K/9 on full health. If he progresses through the AZL efficiently (typically 2–3 rehab starts before a higher-level assignment), a mid-July MLB return becomes plausible. Stash in any format where bench depth allows it — the ceiling is a top-20 pitcher returning in the back half.