Cincinnati Reds reliever Caleb Ferguson will miss the start of the season after suffering a mild right oblique strain, manager Terry Francona announced Thursday. The 29-year-old was signed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract in December after posting a 3.58 ERA across 65 1/3 innings with the Pirates and Mariners last season.

Ferguson's injury compounds Cincinnati's pitching woes, coming as the team already prepares to open without right-hander Hunter Greene, who could miss up to four months with an elbow injury. Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts last season after his All-Star appearance and eighth-place Cy Young finish in 2024.

The veteran reliever has bounced between six teams in his career, including the Dodgers, Yankees, and Astros. He set a career high with 70 appearances last season and owns a 3.66 ERA across 164 career games.