“It felt great,” Greene told reporters in Arizona. “It was a little different coming out of the pen, but I had a good plan coming into it. I asked a couple questions to our staff and some of the other bullpen and reliever guys. They helped me a little bit, too, but I felt great. I stayed warm between the innings. I’m not used to the mound having craters. But it’s great. I was still able to still go out there and do a pretty good job. I was a little under my slider, but other than that, I was happy.”
Greene struck out two and allowed one hit. He was one of seven pitchers the Reds used in their fourth game of the spring. They lost 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs.
Greene, 22, has waited five years for his chance in the big leagues. He started in the Pioneer League with Billings, Mont., in 2017 and advanced to the Single-A Dayton Dragons in 2018 before being sidelined for almost two years with injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019.
Greene practiced with the Reds at the alternate training site in Mason when the minor league season was cancelled because of the pandemic in 2020. A year ago, Greene had hopes of pitching for the Reds, even if it was in the bullpen.
“That’s solely my goal is to get there,” Greene said in February 2021. “That’s where my head’s been since I was drafted and especially this offseason, I’ve worked extremely hard on to put myself in the best position possible to succeed and to conquer that goal.”
Greene did not get to the big leagues in 2021 but made it to Triple-A for the first time. He was 5-8 with a 4.13 ERA in 14 starts for the Louisville Bats.
With the Reds trading Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins earlier this month and not picking up the option on Wade Miley, who signed with the Cubs there are spots for young pitchers in the rotation this season. The Reds open the season on April 7 in Atlanta and will celebrate Opening Day in Cincinnati on April 12 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Greene said he’s a year older and more mature as he chases a job.
“I was a little bit more prepared coming in this year,” he said, “as I should be, right, with the lockout giving us more time. I felt good. I felt like I was in control. And I think that’s the most important thing, to kind of slow the game down and take a deep breath and go out there and have fun.”
Greene’s next appearance will come Saturday when he starts against the San Francisco Giants.
“I’ll be ready to go,” Greene said. “It’ll be awesome.”
NOTES: The reds signed infielder Brandon Drury and right-handed pitcher Kyle Zimmer to minor-league contracts Monday. Drury, 29, hit .274 in 51 games with the New York Mets last season. Zimmer, 30, had a 4.83 ERA in 49 relief appearances and two starts last season for the Kansas City Royals.
• On Sunday, the Reds signed outfielder Albert Almora Jr. to a minor-league contract and invited him to Major League spring training camp. He hit .115 in 47 games last season for the Mets.
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