5:30PM: In a correction, Mackey writes that the Pirates are still hopeful Ashcraft can be activated from the IL before season’s end.
4:40PM: The Pirates announced that right-hander Braxton Ashcraft has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 7) due to discomfort in his throwing arm. Right-hander Antwone Kelly was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Ashcraft’s spot on the active roster.
Bucs manager Don Kelly told MLB.com’s Jason Mackey and other reporters that Ashcraft won’t pitch again in 2026, which likely seemed the case anyway given the short amount of time remaining in the regular season. Tests are still ongoing to determine the nature of Ashcraft’s arm soreness, but Kelly said there wasn’t yet any hint of a structural problem.
Ashcraft last pitched on September 5, allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings of work in a 6-1 Pirates loss to the Angels. Ashcraft has now logged 165 1/3 innings in 2026, which is well beyond his previous high of 118 total innings between the majors and minors in 2025. Unless the tests reveal something serious, it could be that Ashcraft is simply showing the effects of this increased workload, which would be good news in the sense that the injury is nothing long term. (Ashcraft missed the entire 2022 season recovering from a 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 an even 73-73 and five games back of a wild card berth, so while the playoff chances are fading, topping the .500 mark would at least mark some progress.
Ashcraft has been a big part of the team’s success, as the righty has a 3.65 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate, and a 5.2% walk rate over his 165 1/3 frames. That superb 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 grounder rates, there has been a lot to like about Ashcraft’s first full MLB season, especially since he also had a 2.71 ERA over 69 2/3 innings in his 2025 rookie year.
This emergence helped pick up the slack after Paul Skenes’ dip in form from great in 2024-25 to “only” pretty good in 2026. With Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones also being just solid at best, the Pittsburgh rotation has to be considered a slight disappointment based on expectations, as the Pirates’ 4.25 starter ERA ranks only 17th of 30 teams. That said, just about 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 steadies itself, and the resurgent lineup remains strong.
Ashcraft was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game with the Cubs, so the Pirates will probably go with a bullpen game on such short notice. Antwone Kelly will probably log multiple innings, and he could be in line to take Ashcraft’s rotation spot in at least a piggyback or bulk pitcher capacity.