The Reds' top relief arm this season is now sidelined for multiple months.
The Cincinnati Reds announced they have placed right-handed reliever Graham Ashcraft on the 60-day injured list with a UCL sprain. In the corresponding move, the team selected the contract of Yunior Marté from Triple-A Louisville.
Ashcraft had been the best relief arm out of the Reds’ bullpen this season. Making 26 appearances through the season's first two months, the righty tossed 32 strikeouts and posted an 3.33 ERA, giving manager Terry Francona a much-needed reliable leverage arm.
The injury blow is a massive hit to a Reds bullpen that ranks in the bottom five in the league in ERA. Cincinnati had been utilizing Ashcraft in a variety of leverage situations, losing him at a time that he had been excelling in his role.
In his last three outings, Ashcraft had been nothing short of dominant. He recorded multiple strikeouts in each one, tossing seven strikeouts in total and walking no batters.
Now with the injury, Ashcraft will be sidelined for a minimum of two months. He dealt with an elbow injury before in 2024, a right elbow strain that held him out for the final three months of the season.
When he had last pitched on Monday against the New York Mets, he did not feel any indication of a future injury. But on Tuesday morning, he woke up with elbow stiffness, originally thinking it was normal. An MRI to follow revealed an acute UCL sprain for Ashcraft.
Ashcraft is in the process of getting a second medical opinion on the injury. Early impressions indicate the positive outcome of elbow irritation, as he is trending towards getting a PRP injection and will miss multiple months.
In looking at the bullpen, the Reds will look to rely on Pierce Johnson and lefty Sam Moll most looking forward, both being their most efficient active relief arms this year. However, the Reds may need some help in that realm as the season progresses.
In the meantime, they will hope to see some solid production from Marté, who will be making his first appearance on an MLB mound since 2024. The righty flamethrower throws a fastball and sinker that both sit in the upper-90’s, a deceptive slider and an effective splitter.
In Triple-A this season, Marté has posted a 5.12 ERA in 20 games, allowing 11 earned runs, However, he has looked very sharp in his last six appearances, not allowing a run in 5 ⅓ innings of work and tossing eight strikeouts.
Marté last pitched in the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, though struggled in allowing 20 earned runs in 23 relief appearances. He pitched in Japan in the 2025 season, posting a 1.95 ERA with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball.
