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The Reds announced Thursday that theyve optioned struggling right-hander to Triple-A Louisville. His spot on the roster will go to reliever , whos being reinstated after a stint on the 15-day injured list due to a triceps injury. Its the first time Ashcraft, 26, has been optioned to the minors since May 2022, when he was sent down a day after making his MLB debut in a spot start. The 2019 sixth-rounder started 19 games for Cincinnati in 2022 and another 26 games last year. Were it not for a calf strain and a stre s reaction in his foot, hed have been ticketed for a full slate of starts in the Reds rotation last season. Though Ashcraft has struggled with consistency, hes at times looked the part of a viable third or fourth starter in the Reds rotation. He opened last season with a dominant 2.00 ERA in his first six trips to the hill, and while his K-BB profile didnt support quite that level of succe s, he was showing huge ground-ball tendencies and finding succe s with a new cutter and revamped slider that looked far better than his 2022 version of the same pitch. A disastrous stretch followed, wherein Ashcraft was shellacked for 47 earned runs in 33 innings over his next eight starts including outings that saw him Richard Hamilton Jersey yield ten, eight, seven (twice) and six earned runs. Lost as he looked in that span of six weeks, Ashcraft then rattled off a dozen starts of 2.58 ERA ball to close out his season, averaging 6 1/3 innings per start along the way and never allowing more than three runs in any one start. The big righty still had a subpar strikeout rate in that excellent run but offset that flaw with improved command and strong ground-ball tendencies. It was a promising finish to a season one that seemed to speak louder than his ultimately pedestrian 4.76 ERA. The 2024 season has again been a struggle, though not to the extent of last years eye-popping slump. Ashcraft currently sports a 5.05 ERA with a well below-average 17.4% strikeout rate but a strong 7.5% walk rate and encouraging 49% ground-ball rate. However, after averaging more than six innings per start down the stretch last year and pitching into the sixth inning in five of his first six starts this season, Ashcraft has struggled with efficiency of late. Hes pitched into the sixth just once in his past six trips to the hill. Though hes averaging le s than 4 2/3 frames per outing in this stretch, hes done so while requiring an average of 89 pitches along the way. Unsurprisingly, Ashcrafts results have suffered. He posted a 3.63 ERA through his first six starts but has turned in a 6.83 mark since that time. His walk rate has spiked from 6.1% to 9%, and his strikeout rate has fallen from 20.1% to 14.3%. Hell now try to get back on track in Louisville. From a service time vantage point, Ashcrafts demotion isnt likely to alter his path to free agency. He entered the season with 1.136 years of MLB service, meaning he only needed another 36 days to reach two years and stay on track for free agency in the 2028-29 offseason. That said, he was on track to be a very likely Super Two player, making him arbitration-eligible four times rather than the standard three, and thatll become unlikely if his stay in Louisville lasts more than a couple weeks. The Reds will continue to deploy a rotation including , , and . Veteran swingman , signed to a two-year deal, could step back into the rotation in place of Ashcraft for the time being. Triple-A starters , , and are all on the 40-man roster and could represent alternative options, but Spiers is the only one of that group whos pitched particularly well in Louisville this season. Hes made four long relief appearances for Cincinnati already this season, totaling 13 2/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball. Lefty has yet to pitch in the big leagues this season due to a shoulder injury but is another candidate, as hes made four minor league rehab starts and is nearing the end of his rehab window. Tony Snell Jersey |
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发表于 2025-11-16 09:51:12