The Cincinnati Reds made a roster move Sunday morning, just hours before they were scheduled to wrap up a three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park.
The club designated left-hander Sam Moll for assignment and activated right-hander Graham Ashcraft from the 60-day injured list.
The Reds posted the news on X: “The #Reds today activated from the 60-day injured list RHP Graham Ashcraft and designated for assignment LHP Sam Moll.”
Moll, 34, has spent parts of seven seasons in the majors. He joined the Reds organization in 2023 after a midseason trade from the Oakland Athletics.
This year he worked out of Cincinnati’s bullpen and finished with a 4.79 ERA, a 1.49 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.
Because he has more than three years of major league service time, Moll can refuse an outright assignment to the minors if he clears waivers. He could also be claimed by another club or traded during the DFA window.
Moll made his big-league debut with Oakland in 2017. He did not return to the majors until 2021, again with the Athletics.
Oakland dealt him to Cincinnati at the 2023 trade deadline. He has remained with the Reds ever since.
Over his seven-year career he has posted a 3.98 ERA with 245 strikeouts in 235 innings.
The roster shuffle came as the Reds and Brewers prepared for a Sunday afternoon finale that was set to start at 12:10 p.m. EDT. Milwaukee took the series opener Friday, 10-7. Cincinnati answered Saturday with a 5-3 win.
The Reds have won six of their last 10 games. Their overall record sits at 68-74.
That mark leaves them last in the National League Central, 19 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee.
They also trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 6 1/2 games for the final National League wild-card berth.
After Sunday’s game, Cincinnati heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series against the Dodgers that begins Monday night.
Ashcraft’s return gives the Reds another arm in the bullpen as they try to stay relevant in the wild-card picture over the final weeks of the season.
Moll’s next destination remains unclear. For now, the veteran left-hander is off the active roster as the Reds turn the page on a homestand and look ahead to a tough road trip.
