Another injury is concerning, but Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene expects to play on Opening Day

Riley Greene couldn't believe the news.

Greene, an outfielder who throws left-handed, needed Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his non-throwing right elbow. He underwent season-ending elbow surgery Sept. 20 and expects to be in the starting lineup for 2024 Opening Day on March 28.

"It doesn't make sense at all," Greene said. "I make that catch a million times a year."

The elbow injury occurred on a diving catch in the fifth inning Sept. 1 against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field (where the Detroit Tigers will begin the 2024 season). He landed on his right elbow, and once the inflammation subsided, three separate medical opinions revealed he needed Tommy John surgery.

Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers' team physician, performed the surgery in Dallas. After surgery, Greene traveled to Detroit and spent the final week of the regular season with the Tigers before returning to his home in Florida for a four-month offseason of recovery and rehabilitation.

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"I'm just glad it's over with because I'm getting better each day," Greene said. "That's how I'm looking at it. I'll be ready to go next season."

In the 2023 season, Greene hit .288 with 11 home runs, 35 walks and 114 strikeouts over 99 games. Greene, who turned 23 years old in late September, posted a .796 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

He had the best month of his career in May.

"When I felt my best, I was super relaxed in the box," Greene said. "I wasn't thinking about much in the box, and I wasn't trying to do too much. I felt like I was my best when I was super calm in the box, working on my breathing and keeping my heart rate as low as possible."

The red-hot month, in which he hit .365 with a 1.008 OPS across 25 games, coincided with finally unlocking into his pull-side power. He rolled over too many ground balls in the first month of the season, then made a subtle mechanical tweak to get the ball in the air to right field.

But his career-best month was cut short by one game when the Tigers placed him on the injured list May 31 with a left fibula stress reaction. He missed 34 games and didn't return until July 8. Greene lasted 47 more games, hitting .280 with a .785 OPS, before another injury ended his season.

In total, Greene was worth 2.3 fWAR in 99 games.

"Everything about what we're doing and where we're going centers around Riley," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, the day after Greene injured his non-throwing elbow. "I think he's a good example for all of our young players as one of the youngest players, if not the youngest player, on our team. ... I say it to him off camera, and I say it to him on camera. I love Riley Greene."

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One problem: Greene hasn't been able to stay healthy.

The 2019 No. 5 overall pick has suffered three injuries in the past two seasons: right foot fracture in April 2022, left fibula stress reaction in May 2023 and right elbow sprain in September 2023. Two of those injuries — right foot fracture and right elbow sprain — required surgery.

The three injuries have limited him to 192 games in his two-year MLB career, leading to Grady Sizemore comparisons.

Sizemore, a center fielder, made three consecutive All-Star teams, from 2006-08, in his early 20s and was on the cusp of established superstar status, but he struggled to maintain his health into his late 20s and early 30s. He missed the entire 2012 and 2013 seasons with knee and back injuries that required surgery. His playing career ended in 2015, at age 33.

"We've got to keep him away from various things that seemed to get him banged up," Hinch said of Greene, "but he continued his development as a bat that's targeted every single night. When the opposing manager or the opposing pitching coach looked at our lineup, they were circling him. He got as tough of matchups as anybody when he was active."

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Greene has the respect of his teammates and coaches, in part, because of his diving catches in the outfield. He isn't afraid to put his body — and his health — on the line to help the Tigers win games.

Still, the Tigers moved him from center field to left field when Parker Meadows arrived for his MLB debut in late August. One reason for the position change was to protect Greene's health. Less than two weeks later, though, he suffered his elbow injury on the diving catch in left-center field.

Greene admits something, but not everything, needs to change.

"I might not lay out 20 feet in the air," Greene said, "but I'm going to play hard every day."

Right now, Greene can't do anything.

To avoid an infection, he can't sweat until the surgical wound on his non-throwing elbow heals, meaning the wound needs to heal completely before he can start physical activities. Once the exterior of the elbow looks good, he plans to jump on the stationary bicycle and strengthen his legs in the weight room.

Eventually, Greene will begin swinging and throwing as part of his baseball activities. The timeline of his progression remains fluid, but everyone involved — Dr. Meister, the Tigers and Greene — is confident that he will be in the starting lineup on March 28 to open the 2024 season.

"I thought I performed well," Greene said. "There's always room for improvement. I feel like I could have played better. I'm just going to go into the offseason, get this baby right (pointing to his elbow) and do whatever I can to get strong, faster, get the swing right and be ready for next season."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers OF Riley Greene's biggest hurdle to stardom: His health