Cincinnati Reds Roster
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The Cincinnati Reds placed right-hander Graham Ashcraft (calf) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left-calf contusion and recalled right-hander Ricky Karcher from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Ashcraft said he'd be fine after taking a comebacker off his leg in his outing on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that's not the case after all. The 25-year-old's season statistics aren't fine, either, as he's sporting an elevated 6.78 ERA (5.11 FIP), 1.61 WHIP, 30 walks, a league-high 49 earned runs allowed and 50 strikeouts in 65 innings covering 13 starts for the Reds. They'll use his injury to give him some time away, and there's no guarantee he'll rejoin the rotation when he's ready. Left-handed prospect Andrew Abbott will have a chance to prove he belongs in the rotation the rest of the way.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. This marks the third game in a row that Fraley has missed due to a wrist contusion. It sounds like a minor issue, so the organization is hopeful to avoid the injured list. In the meantime, TJ Hopkins will cover right field and bat eighth versus lefty Jordan Montgomery. The hope is that Fraley can return at some point this weekend.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft (calf, knee) said his knee locked up after he was hit in the calf by a comebacker during his start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he expects to be fine in two to three days. Ashcraft said something similar happened earlier in the year and he was fine. The 25-year-old right-hander took his fifth loss of the season on Thursday against the Dodgers after giving up three runs on three hits while walking two and only striking out one in just 2 2/3 innings. The poor outing raised his season ERA to 6.78. He came into Thursday's start having allowed a league-high 46 earned runs on 72 hits (nine homers surrendered), so he has no business being rostered in mixed leagues right now.
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that starting pitcher Hunter Greene (hip) "felt great" after his last side bullpen session and he's on track to start this Sunday on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals. As a precaution, the Reds pushed Greene's last start back, but he has been given the green light to return this weekend. The 23-year-old hard-throwing right-hander should be returned to starting fantasy lineups, especially after giving up just one run on two hits while walking five and striking out 19 in 12 innings over his last two outings. Greene will carry a little more risk into his start against the Red Birds, who rank fourth in the National League with a .745 OPS.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jake Fraley (wrist) has been scratched from Wednesday's lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a right wrist contusion. Fraley was hit by a pitch in Tuesday's contest and he's still feeling the effects on Wednesday. Will Benson is taking his place in right field and batting leadoff against Noah Syndergaard and the Dodgers. It sounds like Fraley is just a little sore so hopefully a day off is all that he needs. He can be considered day-to-day for now and fantasy managers should keep an eye on his availability for Thursday's series finale against Los Angeles.
