The Pittsburgh Pirates added two players to their 40-man roster by 6 p.m. Tuesday to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng and pitcher Braxton Ashcraft were both selected and kept safe from being picked by any of the other 39 clubs as a Rule 5 pick, needing to spend the entire season with their new club or be offered back to their former team.
Ashcraft, 24, missed all of 2022 with Tommy John surgery and returned with a vengeance. The right-hander totaled a 2.39 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a .231 batting average against in 52.