Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that right-hander Graham Ashcraft (elbow) will throw off the mound on Sept. 17 and also has a live batting practice session scheduled for early October. Ashcraft resumed throwing in late August but is not going to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the 2024 regular season after missing more than two months with a strained right elbow. The 26-year-old will have plenty of time to recover during the offseason, though, and should be fully ready for the start of spring training next February. The hard-throwing right-hander wasn't really impressing anyone this year before his elbow injury, going 5-5 with a 5.24 ERA (4.84 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP and a 57:27 K:BB in 77 1/3 innings over his 15 starts. For how hard Ashcraft throws, it remains disappointing that he has a 16.6% strikeout rate in his three major-league seasons.
The Cincinnati Reds announced on Monday that they transferred right-hander Graham Ashcraft (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Ashcraft now will not be eligible to return to the Reds until September, but there's a good chance that he won't make it back at all this year due to a strained right elbow. The 26-year-old should have been dropped in fantasy leagues a while ago. Before going down with an elbow injury, Ashcraft went 5-5 with a career-worst 5.24 ERA (4.80 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP with only 57 strikeouts and 27 walks in 77 1/3 innings over 15 starts in his third year in Cincinnati. Despite throwing his high-velocity offerings, Ashcraft has only been able to generate a 16.6% strikeout rate in his three years in the big leagues, leaving a lot to be desired fantasy-wise.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft (elbow) may potentially miss the rest of the 2024 season. According to Reds manager David Bell, Ashcraft could return at some point in September if all goes well. Ashcraft had been going back and forth between the majors and the minors after having a very spotty 2024 season, posting a 5.24 ERA in 15 starts. The 26-year-old may have been trying to pitch through his elbow discomfort as he didn't mention his injury until being optioned earlier this week. If Ashcraft is able to return in September, he likely will not provide much fantasy value. Fantasy managers may now want to instead turn to Carson Spiers, who is now 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA after picking up the win on Friday against the Miami Marlins. With five starts in a row now, Spiers will continue to take the bump for the Reds and would make a fine pickup for fantasy managers looking for starting pitcher help.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft (elbow) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. The 26-year-old was optioned back to Triple-A on Monday. It sounds like Ashcraft was attempting to pitch through the issue on the big league club. However, Ashcraft alerted the minor league club once he got there about his elbow soreness. The right-hander will be shut down from throwing for the next two weeks. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him.
With the Cincinnati Reds placing left-hander Nick Lodolo (finger) on the injured list with a blister on his left finger, Graham Ashcraft is positioned for a call-up later this week to fill Lodolo's spot in the rotation. Ashcraft was sent down to Triple-A Louisville earlier this month but has looked impressive in his two starts. He is (4-3) with a 5.05 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 62 1/3 innings with the Reds, striking out 49 and walking 21. Opponents are batting .277/.345/.435 against Ashcraft, who could make his return on Friday when the Reds visit the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite the promising outings in the minors, fantasy managers outside of deep-league formats should avoid Ashcraft until he shows improvement on the big-league level.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will promote pitching prospect Braxton Ashcraft from Double-A Altoona to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 2018, second-round pick has pitched well for Altoona this season and has been on a roll lately with a 1.89 ERA over his last six starts. On the season, Ashcraft is 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). The former second-round pick in 2018 has certainly earned his promotion to Indianapolis. Ashcraft is on the Pirates 40-man roster and that gives him an increased chance of making it to the big-leagues at some point in 2024. For now, Ashcraft is only a name for dynasty managers to monitor as he takes the next step in his career.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft picked up his third win of the season on Saturday in a 7-5 victory over the Angels. Ashcraft was able to do so despite allowing five earned runs on five hits and three walks over just five innings pitched. The 26-year-old also struck out four batters. That now makes two starts out of four total in which he's given up five earned runs and still logged the win. The righty is now 3-1 on the young season with a 5.24 ERA (3.35 xFIP), 1.34 WHIP, and a 16.3% K-BB%. His next start tentatively lines up with the Phillies next Thursday in Cincinnati. While the Phillies are middle of the pack so far in 2024 in runs scored per game, over the last three games they rank second-best (7.67).
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (toe) is set to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ashcraft has been slow-played in spring training after having surgery on his toe last September, but he's ready to go now and is expected to part of the team's Opening Day starting rotation, barring a setback with his toe this spring. The 26-year-old former sixth-round pick out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham went 7-9 in his second big-league season in 2023 with a 4.76 ERA (5.06 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 52 walks and 111 strikeouts in 145 2/3 innings over 26 starts. He started strong last year before eventually falling apart. Despite his high velocities, he's been a disappointment so far in the strikeout department.
Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo Nearing Spring Debuts
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (toe) is to be scheduled for his first Cactus League start "within the next week," according to manager David Bell. Meanwhile, left-hander Nick Lodolo's (leg) spring training debut would be a bit behind Ashcraft's. The 26-year-old Ashcraft is returning from surgery on his right big toe last September and is being slow-played in spring training. He has already faced hitters in camp, though, and barring a setback with his toe once he starts pitching in Cactus League games, he should open the 2024 season in the Reds' starting rotation. However, his lack of strikeout upside is a hindrance to his fantasy relevance in mixed leagues. Lodolo, who made only seven starts in 2023 due to a stress reaction in his tibia, has much more fantasy appeal for his high-strikeout upside, but he's also more of an injury risk.
Cincinnati Reds right-hander Graham Aschcraft (toe) has added a changeup to his arsenal of a fastball, cutter, slider and sinker. He did not make any mechanical adjustments in the offseason, but he's worked on improving how he times his delivery. Ashcraft is slightly behind the others pitchers in camp after having surgery in the offseason to fix fractures to the big and second toes of his right foot in September. The 26-year-old has still thrown off a mound three times and is considered on track for Opening Day, though. Ashcraft's toe injury affected him late in the year, and he finished 7-9 with a 4.76 ERA overall in 26 starts in 2023. He started off with a 2.00 ERA in his first six starts. If Ashcraft's new changeup can generate more swings and misses, he could become a streaming option in deep-mixed leagues.
