The Cincinnati Reds activated Graham Ashcraft from the bereavement list Saturday afternoon and optioned Zach Maxwell to Triple-A Louisville. The club also transferred Nick Lodolo’s rehab assignment from High-A Dayton to Louisville.
The move brings back one of Cincinnati’s most dependable late-game arms. Ashcraft has appeared in 15 games this season and owns a 1.20 ERA with a 1.267 WHIP, while opponents are hitting.202 against him and slugging.297. His slider has been even tougher, holding hitters to.045 with a 45.8% swing-and-miss rate, and his 58.3% ground-ball rate ranks in the 94th percentile of Major League Baseball.
That profile has made Ashcraft the Reds’ seventh-inning option in close games, especially when they have a lead. Cincinnati has Connor Phillips, Brock Burke and Ashcraft available before turning to Tony Santillan in the eighth and Emilio Pagan in the ninth, a chain that gives the club a clearer path through the final three innings when it is protecting a slim margin.
Friday was a different story for Maxwell, who replaced Brady Singer in a loss to the Pirates and gave up four runs on three hits over an inning plus of work. He walked two batters and struck out one, a rough outing that made him the obvious roster casualty once Ashcraft was ready to return.
Ashcraft said his stuff is starting to click and that his release point has been lining up better, helping his pitches jump. He said he would not have guessed he could throw the slider this consistently, even though he has shown flashes of it before. For the Reds, the timing matters: they are getting one of their best bridge relievers back at the same time Lodolo advances another step in his rehab and the bullpen’s late-inning order becomes clearer.
The next question is how long Cincinnati can keep that shape intact. Ashcraft’s form gives the Reds a better cushion before the game reaches Santillan and Pagan, and that may matter as much as any single roster move in the days ahead.