Aaron Ashby injury update: Brewers reliever to undergo shoulder surgery, could miss entire 2023 season

Ashby injured his shoulder during the offseason and was shut down before the season started

Wednesday was a good day and a bad day for the Milwaukee Brewers. It was a good day because they wrapped up a three-game sweep of the New York Mets thanks to Garrett Mitchell's walk-off home run (MIL 7, NYM 6), his third homer in two games. Milwaukee outscored the Mets 26-6 in the three games.

It was a bad day because manager Craig Counsell revealed touted left-hander Aaron Ashby will soon undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery, and miss most of the rest of the season, if not the entire rest of the season. Ashby reported to camp behind the team's other pitchers after hurting his shoulder in the offseason.

"This puts him out for significant time," Counsell told reporters, including the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Ashby, 24, received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his shoulder in early February, and described the injury as a labrum tear and an impingement. The original plan called for a 3-6 week shutdown period before beginning to build up, which put Ashby on track to return sometime in May or June. Now he's likely to miss the rest of the season, or at least most of it.

A fourth round pick in 2018, Ashby made his MLB debut in 2021, and he owns a career 4.47 ERA in 139 big league innings spread across 23 starts and 17 relief appearances. He was expected to be a frequently used swingman and spot starter this season, with a chance to grow into a permanent rotation role.

The Brewers signed Ashby to a five-year extension worth $20.5 million last summer. The contract covers 2023-27 and includes club options for 2028 and 2029. Ashby is the nephew of longtime big league right-hander Andy Ashby.

Wednesday's win improved the Brewers to 5-1 on the young season. Their Ashby-less rotation includes Corbin Burnes, Eric Lauer, Wade Miley, Freddy Peralta, and Brandon Woodruff.