5:30 p.m.: In a correction, Mackey writes that the Pirates are still hopeful that Ashcraft can be activated from the IL before the season ends. 4:40 p.m.: The Pirates announced that right-hander Braxton Ashcraft has been placed on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to Sept. 7) due to discomfort in his pitching arm. Right-hander Antwone Kelly was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Ashcraft’s place on the active roster. Bucs manager Don Kelly told MLB.com’s Jason Mackey and other reporters that Ashcraft will not pitch again in 2026, which likely appeared to be the case given how little time remains in the regular season. Tests are still being performed to determine the nature of the pain in Ashcraft’s arm, but Kelly said there was no indication yet of a structural problem. Ashcraft last pitched on September 5, allowing three runs on seven hits in five innings of work in the Pirates’ 6-1 loss to the Angels. Ashcraft has now logged 165 1/3 innings in 2026, which is well above his previous high of 118 total innings between the majors and minors in 2025. Unless testing reveals something serious, it could be that Ashcraft is simply showing the effects of this increased workload, which would be good news in that the injury is not long-term. (Ashcraft missed the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.) In the short term, of course, losing Ashcraft hurts the Pirates’ chances of posting their first winning season since 2018. Pittsburgh is tied 73-73 and five games back of a wild card spot, so while playoff chances are fading, getting over the .500 mark would at least mark some progress. Ashcraft has been a big part of the team’s success, as the right-hander has a 3.65 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate and 5.2% walk rate in his 165 1/3 frames. That excellent walk rate is in the 95th percentile of all pitchers, and Ashcraft’s 37% chase rate is also among the best in the sport. Combined with above-average strikeout, barrel, and groundball rates, there’s been a lot to like about Ashcraft’s first full MLB season, especially since he also had a 2.71 ERA in 69 2/3 innings in his 2025 rookie year. This emergence helped pick up the slack after Paul Skenes’ drop in form from excellent in 2024-25 to “only” pretty good in 2026. With Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones also being solid at best, Pittsburgh’s rotation should be considered a slight disappointment based on expectations, as the Pirates’ 4.25 starting ERA ranks only 17th out of 30 teams. That said, almost every team would love to have a core group like Skenes, Ashcraft, Chandler and Jones, so the Pirates can be dangerous in 2027 if these starters take a collective step forward, the bullpen stabilizes and the resurgent lineup stays strong. Ashcraft was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game with the Cubs, so the Pirates will likely opt for a bullpen game on such short notice. Antwone Kelly will likely log several innings, and could be in line to take Ashcraft’s rotation spot at least in a piggyback or bulk pitcher capacity.
