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CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 23: Terry Francona #77 of the Cincinnati Reds looks towards the field ahead of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park on May 23, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)

The Cincinnati Reds will try to pick up a critical series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Before the game, manager Terry Francona provided an update on Hunter Greene and Emilio Pagan. Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19 Cincinnati reports that Greene is on track for a rehab assignment in Arizona on June 18 and Pagan will throw a bullpen on June 19.

This is welcome news for the Reds. Cincinnati is hanging onto postseason contention by a thread. They enter the rubber match against Arizona with a 33-36 record after winning 2-1 in the series’ middle game.

The club is currently without its best starting pitcher, best player, and closer. As the injuries have piled up, the Reds have been in a bit of a free-fall. Since May 1, the team is 13-25, and a whole litany of problems has arisen from these injuries.

The hope for Cincinnati is that once healthy, they can go on a second-half run like last season. There is a glut of teams vying for the National League’s third Wild Card spot, with none of them showing signs of separating. That’s been good news for the Reds, if they can put their troubles in the rearview mirror.

Reds Rotation After Hunter Greene Injury

GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 13: Hunter Greene #21 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Athletics during the bottom of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images)

Hunter Greene has been out for the entire season to date, undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow in March. Greene underwent the traditional arthroscopic surgery procedure, which resulted in a longer recovery time than Tarik Skubal’s 38 days.

It’s unclear how ramped up Greene currently is in his rehab, so it’s difficult to put a more definitive ETA. The right-hander is tentatively projected to return after the All-Star break.

The Reds have had enough rotation depth to absorb the loss of Greene. Chase Burns has taken the next step in 2026, becoming one of baseball’s brightest young pitchers. The 23-year-old has a 2.14 ERA across 13 starts, with a 29.6% strikeout rate and a 7.7% walk rate. He’s on track to represent the club at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.

In addition to Burns, the rest of the Reds’ rotation has been relatively healthy in 2026. They’re currently fielding a starting five of Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, and Rhett Lowder. Much to the point where they used pitching prospect Chase Petty in a leverage situation against Arizona in their win.

Another development could be if the Reds adopt a six-man rotation. Singer will be the one pitcher to watch if they don’t. The right-hander has struggled in 2026, with a 5.61 ERA and 6.32 FIP in 13 starts. He’s averaging less than five innings per start this season, but he threw a quality start against the San Diego Padres last time out.

Reds Bullpen Situation Without Emilio Pagan

GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – MARCH 28: Emilio Pagan #15 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Pagan is recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered on May 5 against the Chicago Cubs. The initial prognosis at the time was that the right-hander would be out four to eight weeks. As a one-inning reliever, he won’t require much of a ramp-up.

Without their ninth-inning stopper, the Reds’ bullpen has been in disarray. Since May 6, the bullpen has the second-worst ERA (5.98) and the fourth-worst win probability added (-1.81). The unit has been front and center behind the team’s current slide.

In the aftermath of the injury, the team turned to Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft as their top leverage arms. Ashcraft has since sprained the UCL in his right elbow. He received a PRP injection, hoping to rehab the injury and avoid surgery. He’s currently on the 60-day injured list, so the earliest possible return is July 25.

Along with Ashcraft, Pierce Johnson is on the injury list with an elbow issue. Johnson doesn’t have any structural damage and underwent a cortisone shot. He’ll throw a live batting practice session.

The Reds hope that Pagan’s return stabilizes things for their bullpen. By solving the ninth inning, they can allow other pitchers to settle into other roles.