Zack Greinke knocked around in Triple-A rehab start; declares he’s ‘100 percent’

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke continued his rehab assignment Wednesday night for the Reno Aces.

Greinke allowed five runs on nine hits and was touched up for two home runs in five innings of work in a 6-3 loss to the Salt Lake Bees at Smith’s Ballpark.

The trouble started immediately for Arizona’s $206 million acquisition when Salt Lake leadoff hitter Rafael Ortega homered to right field to start the bottom of the first. Greinke then gave up consecutive singles to Todd Cunningham and Kaleb Cowart before working out of a jam to end the inning.

The Bees would strike for two more runs in the second. Cal Towey led off the frame with a homer to right. Juan Graterol singled, Rafael Ortega doubled, then Cunningham delivered an RBI-double that put Salt Lake up 3-2. With runners on second and third and one out, Greinke recovered, striking out Cowart and Nick Buss to end the inning.

Greinke was pretty efficient for the next three innings, but took the loss. The 32-year-old has been on the disabled list with an oblique strain since late June.

“They were hitting my fastball well,” Greinke told Deseret News after the game. “This was pretty similar to my other rehab starts. I am always bad in these outings. I’m usually awful right when I get back to the big leagues, too.”

After a slow start to the season, Greinke had turned things around before his injury, winning his last seven decisions. In that span, he posted a 2.26 ERA in 59.2 innings while opposing hitters batted just .201 against him.

Even though the results weren’t there, Greinke was definitive about his health.

“I’m a hundred percent,” he said. “I haven’t talked to them (the Diamondbacks) yet about when I’m going back up.”

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