The blows to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen keep right on coming.
On Friday, somewhat out of the blue, the Reds placed Graham Ashcraft on the injured list with what’s being called a “UCL sprain right forearm,” and they didn’t just place him on the 15-day IL, either. Ashcraft went straight to the 60-day IL, a move that’s both ominous and potentially an indication that we’ve seen the last of Graham for the 2026 season (and maybe longer).
The Reds announced the move on Friday afternoon, noting that they
had selected the contract of Yunior Marte from AAA Louisville in a corresponding move.
Ashcraft was a key cog in the bullpen prior to the hamstring injury that landed Emilio Pagan on the 60-day IL himself, but had assumed a much higher importance in the wake of said injury. His last trio of outings had also been rock solid, and he was beginning to be looked upon as a legitimate closing option as the team attempts to manage Pagan’s absence.
Now, though, the Reds must figure out how to reconfigure their bullpen once again, while we all wait and see the severity of the injury. I’m not going to bring up the guy whose medical procedure has been named after him, but it’s hard not to go right to that with your mind the moment you hear that there’s damage to a UCL.
Get well soon, Doug.
