The Cincinnati Reds had some good news in an otherwise disappointing 2026 season on Saturday night when their best pitcher, Hunter Greene, made his regular-season debut. 

It just did not go as he, or the Reds, may have hoped.

Hunter Greene struggles in 2026 season debut

Greene had been sidelined for the first half of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He was finally able to take the mound for the Reds on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles, but lasted just 3 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs in an 8-5 loss.

If there is a silver lining for the Reds, aside from the fact he was back on the mound, it's that his stuff looked exactly as it always has throughout his career.

He was touching 100 mph and struck out seven. The problem was he walked four batters and allowed seven hits, including a three-run home run to Samuel Basallo in the top of the first inning. 

While it may not always look this bad, some struggles are to be expected for Greene early on as he works his way back. Even if it wasn't a major reconstructive surgery, any procedure and any time off is going to mess with a pitcher's rhythm, and there is going to be an adjustment getting back to facing major league hitters.

Greene has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the previous two seasons and is one of the Reds' biggest stars.

When he returns to 100% and gets back to his game, he and Chase Burns should give the Reds one of the best 1-2 starting pitcher duos in the league. It may not be enough to salvage the 2026 season, but it will definitely be something to build on for the future.