The Cincinnati Reds activated right-hander Hunter Greene from the injured list in advance of his season debut Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles.
In corresponding moves, the Reds optioned right-hander Chase Petty to Triple-A Louisville, while outfielder Will Benson was designated for assignment.
Greene, 26, has been on the injured list since the end of March when he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow.
When healthy, Greene has been one of the National League’s best pitchers over the last two seasons, posting a 16-9 record with a 2.76 ERA over 258 innings with 301 strikeouts. However, he made only 45 starts as he lost time to a groin strain and elbow injuries.
Greene made two starts for Triple-A Louisville to prepare for his return. In his last start, he threw 6 1/3 innings in a 3-0 win, retiring the last 16 batters he faced while throwing 82 pitches.
Petty, 23, is 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 10 appearances (two starts) for the Reds this season.
Benson, 28, batted .188 with three home runs and six RBIs in 51 games for Cincinnati this season. In five seasons with the Cleveland Guardians (2022-23) and Reds, he is a career .221 hitter with 40 home runs and 124 RBIs in 405 games.
