Notes: Greene brings heat; Senzel update

MESA, Ariz. -- The velocity was there, and so were some offspeed pitches. Add that to having more maturity in his first big league camp, and Reds top prospect Hunter Greene enjoyed a strong first outing of spring.

Pitching a scoreless fifth inning in relief during a 3-2 Reds loss to the Cubs on Monday, Greene faced four batters and notched two strikeouts. He threw 17 pitches with 10 strikes -- with seven pitches reaching at least 100 mph.

“It felt great,” Greene said. “A little different coming out of the ‘pen, but I had a good plan going into it. I asked a couple of questions to our staff and some of the other bullpen relieving guys. They helped me a little bit, too. But I felt great, stayed warm between the innings. Not used to the mound having craters, but it’s great, man. It’s going to happen. I was able to still go out there and do a pretty good job.”

Greene, 22, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati’s No. 1 prospect and No. 22 overall. He struck out the first batter, Narciso Crook, swinging with a 101-mph fastball. Second batter Sergio Alcántara grounded out on a 2-2 changeup.

“Just trying to keep guys off balance,” Greene said. “I know everybody knows I throw hard, so guys are going to come in. The first hitter that was in there was cheating a little bit on the fastball. You see the swing, you see where he’s at in the box and you just make your adjustments there.”

The inning should have been over when Dixon Machado popped up a 100-mph fastball near first base, but Colin Moran lost the ball in the sun. It landed on the infield for a single.

Greene’s most formidable foe was two-time All-Star catcher Willson Contreras, who dueled in a seven-pitch sequence with a full count. The final pitch was an 89-mph called third strike.

“I wasn’t even looking at him, man,” Greene said. “I was so locked in, just looking right at the glove, trying to keep my tempo up. I’m usually pretty good about that. I felt like I found that even before the first pitch. I wish there was some other big dogs in there, but that time will come, and I’ll be ready.”

A year ago, Greene was in Minor League camp but appeared in his first Spring Training game with a barrage of high velocities. Now he’s in his first big league camp, competing for a rotation spot after splitting last season between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville.

“A little bit more maturity, and I was a little bit more prepared coming in this year -- as I should be, right?” he said. “With this lockout [and] a little bit more time, I felt good. I felt like I was in control. I think that’s most important -- to slow the game down, take a deep breath and go out there and have fun.”

“He looked like he belongs here,” Reds manager David Bell said. “More importantly, he felt that. It’s never going to be easy, for any of these guys. Not even Hunter. But having that confidence that you belong is really helpful. That’s what it looked like. I’m glad to hear him say that.”

Greene is scheduled to make his second Spring Training appearance in a start against the Giants on Saturday.

More ABs for Senzel
While the Reds played the Cubs, center fielder Nick Senzel remained at Cincinnati's complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to play in a Minor League game. Most of the starters are playing in early Cactus League games every other day, but Bell wanted Senzel to get more at-bats this spring after he missed 120 games in 2021 with a left knee injury after he had missed large chunks of games in 2019-20, too.

“Those days are great, not just for Nick but our other position players will do the same thing,” Bell said. “You can lead off every inning. Get up to nine at-bats. Or maybe he feels good after four, and he can walk off, and it’s really nice. It never happens in a real game where you keep getting at-bats and make adjustments. Keep working through it for a whole game. We’ll do it again. Just trying to make opportunities for him to get his timing and get comfortable.”

Sanmartin makes spring debut
Before Greene appeared, left-handed pitcher Reiver Sanmartin pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning with one strikeout. Sanmartin, who was 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two big league starts at the end of last season, is competing for a rotation or a bullpen spot.

“I feel great,” Sanmartin said via interpreter Tomas Vera. “Honestly, I appreciate the opportunity, that’s the No. 1 thing. Whatever the team wants me to do, I’ll be ready to work.”