Friday marked the beginning of a stretch where the Reds play the National League Central-leading Cubs in six of the next nine games. Call it their first big test of this season, a chance to see where they stand against one of baseball's best offenses.

Like the rest of the Cincinnati Reds, Hunter Greene’s night looked like it was going great until suddenly it wasn’t on Friday against the Chicago Cubs. And, well, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong played a large role in Greene’s short night and the Reds’ 13-6 series-opening loss.

The Cincinnati Reds activated right-hander Hunter Greene from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's home game against the Chicago Cubs.

See all the player props bets with current odds for the MLB matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Reds on }{ day_of_week model.date }}, May 23, 2025.

Chicago’s arguably surpassed the Los Angeles Dodgers as the most-disciplined team in the league at the plate. It continues to get the ball in play with a low 19.7% strikeout rate in the last two weeks, and while its walk rate has fallen just a hair it remains very strong at 8.9%.