Brewers Reveal Spring Game Plan for 'Super Valuable' Lefty

This guy can handle any job...

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) pitches to Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) during the first inning of the National League Division Series game at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Oct. 6, 2025. | Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers are the masters of finding standout players who don't fill typical star roles, and left-handed pitcher Aaron Ashby is the epitome of that concept.

Last season, Ashby put up a 2.16 ERA in 66 2/3 innings during the regular season, mostly in a multi-inning relief role. He then became an opener/Swiss Army knife in the playoffs, pitching in seven of the Brewers' nine postseason games and starting three of them.

Having another season of Ashby being able to plug any hole would be incredibly valuable for this Brewers team, and with that in mind, manager Pat Murphy had to know it was important to craft a smart plan for his spring training build-up.

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Brewers could call on Ashby for any role

Oct 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) throws during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game one of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

After Ashby made his first appearance of spring training, a two-inning scoreless outing against the Texas Rangers, Murphy talked about the need to get Ashby throwing enough innings to shift to the starting rotation at some point this year.

“He’s a super valuable guy,” manager Pat Murphy said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “And he loves to throw. Building him up (this spring) is necessary because he could be an insertion (to the starting rotation) at any time. When he’s opening a game, you don’t know whether he’s going to go three innings or if he’s going to go one.”

The Brewers have also been slow-playing their regularly used pitchers to begin the spring. McCalvy reported Thursday that just 18 of the team's first 56 spring innings had been thrown by pitchers from major league camp.

Ashby made 19 starts in 2022 before missing the entire next season due to a torn labrum. The bullpen seems to be his calling, and there's nothing at all wrong with that if he's going to give the Brewers a sub-three ERA in a do-everything role.

It will be interesting to see if Ashby throws three innings in one of his next couple of outings, and if he does, whether the Brewers push him any farther along the road to making a full-length start at some point.