Hunter Greene injury makes a strong April more important than ever for the Cubs

There's no apparent UCL damage 'for now' but Cincinnati Reds right-hander has left spring training and is headed for a pair of opinions on his ailing right-elbow - which has set off warning bells in the hearts and minds of a fanbase that came into camp with cautious optimism.

"My last five or six starts (in 2025), I had elbow discomfort and obviously, playoff push, so I pushed through it," Greene said. "Felt fine in the offseason. Got an injection about a week before spring training started. Discomfort came back so I've been managing it through camp so far, so we're gonna go check it. Get it looked at."

The Reds have depth to weather a short-term loss, but nobody ready to step in and replace what Greene - a hard-throwing, top-of-the-rotation strikeout artist. There should be more clarity on a diagnosis and its impact on his availability early in the year later in the week, but it seems likely he'll miss at least some time.

Greene said he'd been dealing with right elbow stifness since last summer, so the fact it's just now being put front and center has Reds fans absolutely irate, questioning why it wasn't looked at before now.

Obviously, we'd never wish an injury on a player - but looking past the potential impact on the Cubs would be short-sighted. With the reigning NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers opening the year without Brandon Woodruff, the Reds losing Greene for any length of time would open the door for Craig Counsell's club to get off to a hot start and build up a lead in the division.

As is the case with the Brewers, the Cubs don't actually go head-to-head with Cincinnati in the season's first month. The two teams first do battle on May 4 - but that doesn't mean a hot start from Chicago and a slow jump out of the gate from the Reds couldn't do the former some favors down the road.

Last season, Greene looked like an early NL Cy Young candidate - but a recurring groin issue proved costly. He made just 19 starts, spanning 107 2/3 innings, pitching to a 2.76 ERA and a sub-1.000 WHIP. Availability remains the biggest issue with the former first-round pick, who has already signed a multi-year deal that could keep him hin Cincinnati for the rest of the decade.

Knock on wood, the Cubs have avoided the injury bug to this point in camp. Now, it's about dialing things in ahead of Opening Day, which is just three weeks away, and capitalizing on the situation once the regular season gets underway.