Aaron Ashby DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Milwaukee Brewers left-handed pitcher Aaron Ashby (oblique) is set to throw a bullpen on April 11. Ashby has been sidelined due to an oblique injury he suffered in early March. The southpaw was in contention to make the starting rotation, but this injury kept him out of the competition. However, if he is able to progress well, he could compete for a starting role when he returns to action. Last season, Ashby appeared in 14 games (two starts) and logged 28 1/3 innings of work with a 2.86 ERA and a strong 1.06 WHIP. He tallied 33 punchouts and held an 8.4 percent walk rate. Ashby also generated a stellar .203 xBA. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing shoulder surgery but has flashed high-strikeout upside when on the bump. He is worth monitoring in deeper formats as he could be worth deploying if he rejoins the starting rotation.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby (oblique) said the second opinion of his right-oblique strain was better than the first. However, he'll still be shut down for roughly two weeks before resuming throwing. Ashby still expects to be built up as a starter, but he obviously won't be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season and could miss at least the first month of the season, if not more. It doesn't guarantee that the 26-year-old southpaw will jump back into the Brewers' starting rotation once he's ready to make his season debut, and a bullpen role shouldn't be ruled out, especially given all the health setbacks in his career. Ashby missed all of 2023 due to left-shoulder surgery and struggled for most of last year at Triple-A Nashville. There's no denying his strikeout upside, but between his injuries and inconsistency, fantasy managers in deeper leagues are better off looking elsewhere.

Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby (oblique) left his Cactus League outing in the second inning on Monday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds due to an oblique strain, according to manager Pat Murphy. The early sense is that it won't be a months-long absence, but that won't be confirmed until Ashby has imaging done on Tuesday. Before leaving on Monday, the 26-year-old southpaw was having issues with his command (two walks). Even if this doesn't end up being a serious oblique injury, Ashby will more than likely open the 2025 season on the injured list. He also missed all of 2023 with a shoulder surgery, so he's no stranger to the injury bug. Ashby has always been intriguing for his strikeout upside, but he has an inconsistent track record and hasn't been able to stay healthy for long stretches. Veteran lefty Jose Quintana, who was signed on Monday, could take Ashby's rotation spot to begin the year.

The Milwaukee Brewers optioned left-hander Aaron Ashby to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. The club also selected the contract of right-hander Kevin Herget from Nashville and transferred right-handed reliever Devin Williams (back) to the 60-day injured list. Ashby gets sent back to the farm after surrendering eight runs (four earned) in just 3 2/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. The 25-year-old southpaw will go to Nashville to work on his craft with veteran lefty Wade Miley (shoulder) set to make his 2024 MLB debut on Wednesday night against the Reds. Ashby should be back with Milwaukee at some point down the road this year, but fantasy baseball managers should temper expectations for him after he had season-ending left-shoulder surgery in April of 2023.

The Milwaukee Brewers optioned left-hander Aaron Ashby and outfielder Joey Wiemer to Triple-A Nashville on Friday and also reassigned infielder Christian Arroyo to minor-league camp. Although he's healthy after recovering from shoulder surgery, Ashby was considered a long shot to crack the team's Opening Day rotation, especially since he struggled to recover his pre-surgery velocity in spring training. The 25-year-old southpaw allowed four runs (three earned) while walking four and striking out three in three Cactus League innings and will open the year on the farm to try and get his velocity back up before helping the Brewers in the big leagues at some point in 2024. You can avoid Ashby for now in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, but he's worth stashing in NL-only leagues for his strikeout upside.