Drafting a pitcher out of high school, especially a righty, is a risk and a rarity. Only a few are taken in the first rounds of any MLB Draft, and a righty high schooler has never been taken first overall. But Hunter Greene was too good for the Cincinnati Reds to pass up with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 Draft, and he did not disappoint.

The 6-foot-4 flamethrower threw 19 pitches at the 2018 Futures Game, each of them clocking at least 100 miles per hour, an ungodly feat. He’s reached a top velocity of 103.1, making him one of the hardest throwers ever.

He’s a phenom. But he’s also a phenom on the mend.

Greene had Tommy John surgery last spring, and he’s currently midway through a 16-month recovery process. He was introduced to fans as recovering from “a little arm operation,” when he made an appearance at Louisville Slugger Field Thursday night as part of the Reds Caravan, but it’s been a lengthy .

Tommy John is an intense elbow operation, but is increasingly common in Major League Baseball; one-quarter of MLB pitchers undergo the surgery at some point in their career. Greene has spent the last nine months slowly rehabbing his lightning bolt of an arm.

“I’ve gone through a lot emotionally, spiritually, mentally,” he said Thursday in Louisville. “Physically, I’ve been working out and throwing and running for a long time now, but it’s been more of the mental, spiritual side and the emotional side of being able to get through this rehab process.”

Background:Reds top pitching prospect Hunter Greene to have Tommy John surgery

Greene pitched for the Dayton Dragons, the Reds Low-A affiliate, in 2018, breaking that stadium’s record for fastest pitch, but has been sidelined for a year now. He’s the prize of the Reds’ organization and the Reds have no intention of hurrying the process of their top prospect.

He’ll report to spring training in Arizona this week, where he’ll remain until late May. He’s slated to throw off a mound in a few months, and could be playing competitively by the second half of this upcoming season.

However, it might be awhile before he’s pitching for the Louisville Bats, the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate. It’s still unclear, but a landing date in Louisville likely won’t be until 2021 or 2022. The first step, he said, is to have a healthy year.

Baseball America listed Greene as one of “10 MLB Prospects We Hope Have a Healthy 2020,” and his potential, if healthy, is massive.

“We don’t want to rush him,” Reds president Dick Williams said.

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Former MLB pitcher and current Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley said that, lost in the fuss around Greene’s natural ability, is his aggressive mentality in attacking hitters.

“There has to be a belief that you’re better than the guy that steps in the box regardless of the name on the back of the jersey. I believe that kid possesses that,” he told The Courier Journal.

Tommy John surgery stunts a career. It’s one of the longest recoveries in sports, and it’s not always successful, but Brantley — who had multiple shoulder surgeries during his 14-year career as a reliever — and Greene feel it could be a net-positive for Greene.

For one, Brantley says Greene is in the best physical shape and frame of mind that he’s ever been in his life. And, even though it removed a year from his pitching life, Brantley said it could be one of the best things that happens to him.

“I think when you hit rock bottom — and you do hit rock bottom when you tear a ligament and you’re out of the game — what happens is you start to refocus your mindset and you become dead set on the comeback,” he said.

Greene said that the rehab process has given him a chance to learn about himself.

“I kind of look at it as a blessing. I mean, yeah, it’s not great that I had to get surgery and I had to go through this process and take a year and a half off, but I’ve learned a lot,” he said.

Hayes Gardner can be reached at hgardner@gannett.com; Twitter: @HayesGardner; Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.