Brewers manager Craig Counsell confirmed Monday that Ashby will be stretched out for starting duty during spring training, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.
Counsell didn't explicitly confirm that Ashby will open the season in a starting role, though he'll likely be the favorite for the final spot if the Brewers elect to run out a six-man rotation like they did for a large portion of the 2021 campaign. After enduring a rocky MLB debut last June against the Cubs, Ashby was highly effective in his subsequent 12 appearances (and three starts) the rest of the season, posting a 3.48 ERA (3.30 FIP) and a 24.4 K-BB% over 31 innings. He looks to be a high-upside dart throw in the later rounds of mixed-league drafts.