It's not being used as an excuse, but the Cincinnati Reds have dealt with a lot of key injuries throughout this season.
For example, starting pitchers Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo were injured before the season even began. Both also dealt with injuries during the season, which has now even seen Greene be put on the shelf for next year.
Many times momentum was deflated for the Reds because of the brutal timing of certain injuries. As the team winds down their 2026 campaign, they have got a few of those injured pieces back. Prior to the series finale on Sunday against the Brewers , the Reds announced another major return.
May 23, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft reacts after the final out of the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The team announced on Sunday that Graham Ashcraft has been activated from the 60-day injured list and has designated Sam Moll for assignment.
Ashecraft has not been seen on the mound for the Reds since May 25th. The right-hander had been dealing with an elbow injury that caused him to miss the majority of the 2026 season.
Before his exit, it seemed like Ashcraft was finding his groove on the hill. In his last three games of work before his injury, Ashcraft went 3.2 innings without allowing a run and struck out seven.
Aug 24, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Sam Moll (50) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As for Moll, the Reds left-hander leaves on a sour note. In his last appearance with the team in Friday's matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, Moll allowed two runs in one inning of work.
In what could be his final time pitching in Cincinnati, Moll finishes the 2026 season with a 2-7 record and an ERA of 4.79. In a year full of injuries for this team, Moll also picked up his second career save this season.
May 23, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft (23) throws against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One has to believe that Ashcraft will see some action in Sunday's game against the Brewers. In Friday's game, the Reds went deep into the bullpen, then the long rain delay on Saturday had the Reds in the bullpen by the fifth inning.
The Reds are in need of some fresh arms to end the series, and nobody has a fresher arm than the guy coming back from a serious injury.
If fans want to call this season a failure, they have every right to do that. But the story of the 2026 Reds can't be told without the mountains of injuries they faced. Seeing Ashcraft's comeback is great. Unfortunately, it feels like too little, too late for a team just trying to ride this thing out.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/reds/onsi as Cincinnati Reds' Latest Roster Announcement Sees Familiar Name Return to Bullpen .
