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Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (67) throws a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pirates Rookie Pitchers Facing Important Test vs. Astros

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 12:03 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have two rookie pitchers who will work together in their next Spring Training game.

The Pirates have right-handed pitchers in Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler taking on the Houston Astros in their next Grapefruit League game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Ashcraft could go three innings today and so too could Chandler, as the only other scheduled pitcher is reliever Nick Dombkowski, but another pitcher should join them as well.

Chandler and Ashcraft will take on former Pirates teammate and rookie pitcher in Mike Burrows, who will start for the Astros.

The Pirates traded Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, that landed them second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.

Disappointingly, there is no stream for this game, so Pirates fans that want to see the former teammates go at each other won't get a chance to do so.

How Ashcraft, Chandler Have Performed So Far

Ashcraft started for the Pirates against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. on Feb. 22, a split-squad day, as they also played at home.

He gave up a solo home run to Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and three other hits, but limited the damage to just one run over his two innings in his first Grapefruit League start.

Chandler struggled in first Spring Training start vs. the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Feb. 23, where he allowed four earned runs over 1.2 innings of work.

He had a solid first inning with two strikeouts and a pop up, but then allowed four walks in the second inning and Pirates right-handed pitcher Tyrone Yulie gave up back-to-back hits, which brought in three more runs for the Yankees.

It's a crucial year for Ashcraft and Chandler, who will serve a big role in the Pirates starting rotation in 2026 and look to build off strong showings in 2025.

Other Important Notes

The Pirates will have a strong lineup for this matchup vs. the Astros, with center fielder Oneil Cruz leading off, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna hitting second and first baseman Spencer Horwitz hitting third.

Second baseman Nick Yorke has hit .364 so far in Spring Training and hits fourth, shortstop Jared Triolo hits fifth and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. will hit sixth.

Rising Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez hits eighth and starts in right field, his second Grapefruit League start.

The Pirates will have infield prospects in Termarr Johnson, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, and Jared Jones on the bench.

Johnson has hit .556, with five hits in nine at-bats so far in the Grapefruit League for a strong showing so far.

This is not the pitcher Jared Jones, rather, the 11th round selection from LSU in the 2025 MLB Draft, who goes by the nickname, "Bear."

Pittsburgh will also face the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter the following day on March 1, marking their first overnight trip for the Pirates in Spring Training since they faced the Montreal Expos in Jupiter, March 31-April 1, 2000.

It is also the first east coast trip for the Pirates in Spring Training since they took on the Washington Nationals in Viera on March 2, 2006.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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