Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene takes next step in Tommy John recovery at spring training complex
Outfielder Riley Greene, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow nearly four months ago, is getting closer to full health as the Detroit Tigers get closer to spring training.
The surgery, which occurred Sept. 20, repaired the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Greene, 23, reported to the Tigers' spring training complex in Lakeland, Florida, on Monday for the first time this offseason to start his hitting progression, according to the team. He spent the beginning of the offseason rehabbing at DeLaCruz Sport Performance in Orlando, not far from his hometown of Oviedo, Florida.
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Coaches from the Tigers are getting their eyes on Greene in Lakeland, evaluating his recovery and introducing baseball activities to him. Monday's trip was the first of a few visits to TigerTown on Greene's schedule for the current week.
Along with hitting, Greene has been playing catch and performing light defensive drills three to four times per week. He bats from the left side of the plate and throws with his left arm.
The Tigers already knew Greene would be ready for Opening Day on March 28, but he also seems on track to be ready for spring training games in late February, although he could face workload restrictions for precautionary reasons.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper returned from Tommy John surgery in 160 days — just over five months — but spent most of last season as the designated hitter and didn't play in the outfield. The main difference in the two cases: Harper underwent surgery on his throwing elbow, whereas Greene underwent surgery on his non-throwing elbow.
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Greene transitioned from center fielder to corner outfielder when Parker Meadows made his MLB debut in late August. He suffered the season-ending elbow injury Sept. 1 on a diving catch in left field at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
About 20 days later, Greene had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow following three opinions from doctors. Dr. Keith Meister, the team physician for the Texas Rangers, performed the surgery.
Riley Greene Offseason grind Detroit Tigers Outfielder pic.twitter.com/jlQdIoJnab
— DeLaCruz Sport Performance (@TrainDSP) November 30, 2023
Greene hit .288 with 11 home runs, 35 walks and 114 strikeouts over 99 games for the Tigers in the 2023 season, posting a .796 OPS.
He experienced the best month of his career in May, hitting .365 with three home runs and a 1.008 OPS over 25 games. That month, Greene's batting average ranked third in the big leagues behind Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (.400) and Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras (.368).
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The problem is Greene hasn't played more than 99 MLB games in a single season in his two-year career because of three injuries. He also suffered a stress reaction in his left fibula last season, sidelining him from May 31 through July 7, but that injury didn't require surgery.
Greene, a .271 hitter with 16 homers in his 192-game career, was cleared to start his running progression around the second week of December. He already checked those boxes as part of his offseason program.
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Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris discussed Greene's overall health Dec. 5 at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee.
"We got to make sure that he comes to camp in really, really good shape," Harris said. "We have to add some strength to his frame that will insulate him against future injury, and we also got to find ways to take load off of his body. We have the (designated hitter) spot available now, so it's an opportunity for him and other players."
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' Riley Greene starts hitting at spring training complex
