Ashby could open the year as a starter if the Brewers elect to use a six-man rotation, something the team has yet to decide on as of Thursday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
As long as he can throw enough strikes, Ashby has a future as a starter, but his inexperience likely means he's the odd man out if the Brewers use a traditional five-man rotation. Even in that case, he's likely to make a good number of starts when other pitchers get injured, but the chance to stake his claim for a permanent spot with a strong early run in the rotation could do a lot for his fantasy value. The young lefty recorded an unremarkable 4.55 ERA in 31.2 innings as a swingman last season, but his 29.3 percent strikeout rate and 61.3 percent groundball rate showcased his big-league potential.