The Cincinnati Reds placed ace pitcher Hunter Greene on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a right groin strain and signed veteran left-hander Wade Miley to a one-year contract.
Miley, 38, who had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May 2024, gets a $2.5 million salary while in the major leagues and $300,000 while in the minors. He would earn a $15,000 performance bonus for each inning pitched from one through 100.
He signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Feb. 4 that included an opt-out clause if he didn’t reach the big leagues by June 1. The 14-year veteran executed that clause on Sunday but remained in Cincinnati while he pursued potential deals with other clubs, and he stayed in touch with the Reds.
“I was able to spend some time with the family, just being a dad, going to Little League games,” Miley said. “I’m appreciative of the Reds organization and the way they handled it. We always stayed in contact. I feel healthy. I’m really excited to be back. I’m ready to go to work.”
Miley is the third left-hander in the Reds’ rotation, joining Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott. He made 34 appearances, including 32 starts, for the Reds in 2020-21, going 12-10 with a 3.55 ERA. He tossed the 17th no-hitter in Reds franchise history, and his first, on May 7, 2021, at Cleveland.
Miley has posted 108 victories for eight different teams in his 14 seasons. Manager Terry Francona said Miley’s veteran presence is a welcome addition for the Reds’ young rotation.
“He and [Reds president of baseball operations] Nick [Krall] talked multiple times,” Francona said. “I know how much he appreciated Nick’s honesty. We were going to have him in the bullpen and then knowing at some point we would probably need him. Well, it happened a little quicker.”
Francona said Miley will be available out of the bullpen for Wednesday’s series finale against the Brewers. If he’s not used, he’ll pitch the first game of the upcoming Cleveland series, then move into the rotation.
“He was in full [uniform] early this morning,” Francona said. “It’s really welcome. We’ve been waiting for him. He’s a bright light. He brings a lot. His ability to compete, he won’t shortchange you.”
It was another setback for Greene, who made three starts since a 15-day stint on the injured list last month due to a groin strain he sustained May 7 during a start in Atlanta.
In Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the Brewers, Green threw 85 pitches before leaving the game after five innings when he felt discomfort in his groin. An MRI was scheduled for Wednesday morning, but Francona said there was no need to wait for the results.
“We talked to him, we talked to trainers, it was kind of an easy decision even without seeing the MRI,” Francona said. “We’ve got to get him healthy.”
Greene — who made his first All-Star appearance last season — is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 11 starts this year.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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