Outlook Braxton Ashcraft
Braxton Ashcraft looks to rebound from a brief rough patch with a highly favorable matchup in Oakland.
Braxton Ashcraft has hit a slight speed bump, posting a 7.20 ERA over his last two starts, though he still boasts a strong 3.37 ERA on the year. He remains locked in as the number three starter for the fourth-place Pirates, who currently sit at an even 36-36 record. Despite this brief stumble, the young righty is fully healthy and remains a high-upside rotation piece.
While his last 10 innings have been rocky, Ashcraft's 34 strikeouts over his last 29.1 frames highlight his elite swing-and-miss stuff. Our models project a 3.89 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP rest-of-season, suggesting his overall success is highly sustainable. Do not panic over a brief rough patch; his season-long 1.12 WHIP indicates the skill set is very real.
Ashcraft is slated for one road start this week on Wednesday against the Athletics, squaring off against Aaron Civale. The Athletics present a highly favorable matchup, especially with Civale sporting a mediocre 4.20 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. Lock Ashcraft in as a confident weekly start in all formats.
Updated 11 hrs ago
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Outlook Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen returns from injury but finds himself behind Kyle Finnegan in the Tigers bullpen hierarchy.
The veteran reliever recently returned to active duty after a rough Triple-A rehab appearance, pitching a clean inning over his last turn. However, with the fourth-place Tigers currently mired in a two-game losing streak, Jansen has surrendered the ninth inning to Kyle Finnegan. He currently slots into a middle-relief role, limiting his immediate fantasy ceiling.
While our season projection still expects Jansen to compile around 22 saves with a respectable 3.66 ERA, his path to high-leverage work has narrowed. His current 4.93 ERA and a dramatic spike in walk-off homers allowed earlier this year indicate that his elite days are behind him, making a full closer reclaim unlikely.
The Tigers play six games this week, visiting Houston before returning home to face the division-rival White Sox. Our models project Jansen for roughly 2.2 innings of work with less than one projected save, making him difficult to trust in active lineups. Sit him until his high-leverage opportunities improve.
Updated 11 hrs ago
