Braxton Ashcraft’s breakout season has been interrupted by right arm discomfort, leaving the Pirates with another major rotation question. Alex Stumpf looks at why Ashcraft’s workload wasn’t an obvious concern, what his injury means for pitchers like Khristian Curtis and Antwone Kelly, and whether there is any reason to bring Ashcraft back before the end of the season.

With 2027 becoming the bigger focus, the Pirates have to weigh what they could gain from another Ashcraft start against making sure one of the most important pieces of their rotation is fully healthy moving forward.

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