Aaron Ashby began his rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin over the weekend. The 25-year-old tossed a scoreless frame for the Timber Rattlers, striking out two while walking a pair. The left-hander has sat idle on the injured list all season while recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent in April. Ashby will continue to work his way back to the Brewers this month. He could find use out of the bullpen upon activation. 

A fourth-round pick from Crowder College, Aaron Ashby rose through the Brewers’ farm system while becoming one of their top-end pitching prospects. Ashby, alongside Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer, and Sal Frelick, rounded out Milwaukee’s top five prospects in 2022, per MLB Pipeline. The six-foot-one hurler owns a 5-12 record with a 4.47 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 139 innings with Milwaukee dating back to 2021. The youngster parlayed his success to a five-year contract through the 2027 season with club options for 2028 and 2029. 

Can Aaron Ashby Help the Brewers in 2023?

The road to recovery continues for Aaron Ashby in 2023. He has tossed just one inning this season, yet the plan is for him to return to the majors sometime in late September. The Brewers’ pitching staff ranks eighth in the MLB in ERA (3.95) while being tops in the opponent’s batting average metric. However, they are just 14th in strikeouts. Ashby, who punches out more than ten batters per nine, could help elevate the Brewers in that category. 

With rosters expanded to 28, the Brewers could give Ashby a look in mid-September before deciding on his postseason status. Milwaukee used roster expansion to call up rookie lefty Clayton Andrews, but the five-foot-six lefty has coughed up six runs, five earned, on five hits and a walk in just 1.2 innings. Aaron Ashby would fit perfectly as a late-season addition to the roster if Andrews continues to struggle.