Pirates Place Braxton Ashcraft on Injured List During Final Playoff Push
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CHICAGO — The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt with numerous injuries to their star players, and they have lost another key member.
The Pirates announced they placed right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft on the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort, retroactive to Sept. 7.
Pittsburgh brought up rookie right-handed pitcher Antwone Kelly in his place, and he is with the team ahead of their series finale vs. the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sept. 10.
Ashcraft's injury marks the second to the Pirates' rotation, as Mitch Keller went on the 60-day injured list on Aug. 3 with a right-arm teres major muscle injury, knocking him out for the rest of the season.
It's a tough blow for the Pirates, as Ashcraft has been the best starting pitcher this season, earning his first All-Star nod and proving himself amongst the best arms in baseball.
Will Ashcraft Come Back This Season?
The Pirates can bring back Ashcraft on Sept. 22, 15 days from his injured list start date, so he could come back and pitch this season.
Ashcraft would return, at the earliest, for the final home series, Sept. 22 to Sept. 24 against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park, and be around for the final series of the season, Sept. 25 to Sept. 27 against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
Pirates manager Don Kelly said Ashcraft expressed concern after his last start on Sept. 5 against the Los Angeles Angels at PNC Park.
Kelly said there doesn't appear to be any structural damage, but Ashcraft is still undergoing tests to determine what he's dealing with.
His injury leaves the Pirates with just three healthy starting pitchers, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones and Paul Skenes.
The Pirates will rely on their rookie pitchers, right-handers Wilber Dotel, Khristian Curtis, Kelly and likely left-hander Hunter Barco, for the future to take on innings.
Ashcraft Having Incredible Season for Pirates
Ashcraft has posted a 14-6 record over 28 starts, a 3.65 ERA over 165.1 innings pitched, 173 strikeouts to 35 walks, a .235 batting average allowed and a 1.09 WHIP.
He's dominated for long stretches of the season, using a great pitch mix for strikeouts and inducing weak contact for quick outings, making him a top pitcher in baseball.
Stat (Total) | NL/MLB Ranking |
|---|---|
Wins (14) | Tied-4th/Tied-6th |
WHIP (1.09) | 5th/15th |
Innings Pitched (165.1) | 7th/17th |
Strikeouts (173) | 9th/Tied-16th |
ERA (3.65) | 12th/23rd |
BAA (.235) | 12th/27th |
Ashcraft threw a complete game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug. 13, throwing just 85 pitches and posting 10 strikeouts in the 13-1 victory.
He then came close to another complete game in his next start, throwing 80 pitches over eight innings in the 4-1 win over the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 18.
Pirates manager Don Kelly recognized how big a loss this is for his team, as they push for a postseason spot, and he's looking for others to take advantage of the innings they'll get.
"Huge blow," Kelly said. "What he's done this year, the innings, the great innings he's thrown for us in a big way, has been so consistent throughout the year. Earned an All-Star apppearance and he's been such a meaningful member of the staff and tough when you get news like this and excited about the opportunity that other guys are going to get to step up.
"We've been through it, a lot, on the offensive side and guys have stepped up and just need to get going."
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.