Keuchel returning to mound Friday
PHILADELPHIA — Astros lefthander Dallas Keuchel will return from the disabled list and make his first start in exactly eight weeks Friday night against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
Keuchel, who was sidelined by a pinched nerve in his neck, probably will be limited to six innings. He completed five innings Saturday for short-season Class A Tri-City in the second of his two rehab starts and threw 62 pitches.
“It feels a little weird to actually have my name penciled in for a major league start. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while,” he said Wednesday. “The excitement’s really building. I didn’t want to let myself get too excited, but at the same time I feel great with how I’ve progressed and what I’ve done in the two starts. It’s go time.”
Keuchel will start opposite righthander Jordan Zimmermann. Collin McHugh will make his second start of the season Saturday opposite lefthander Matt Boyd. Lance McCullers Jr. will wrap up the weekend series opposite righthander Justin Verlander, the six-time All-Star who’s been the subject of trade speculation.
“We haven’t been able to name those three as our starting pitchers together all year,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “It feels good to be able to go in a series with those guys.”
A degree of uncertainty will exist until Keuchel proves his health over several starts. But after an extended layoff the Astros could afford because their enormous AL West lead, Keuchel said he doesn’t have any questions about his health.
“I think us playing so well really kind of slowed things down a little bit, just to make sure that everything was good to go. If we weren’t playing as well as we are, I might have been back a little bit earlier,” he said. “It kind of felt like a little bit of an offseason, so it feels like April all over again. Except for the command. I feel like my command’s still there.”
Keuchel’s return means the removal of a member of the current rotation, a determination Hinch will delay disclosing until the weekend.
But considering he’s had success in both starting and relief roles this season, Brad Peacock seems the likeliest candidate to move to the bullpen. Hinch could utilize Peacock as another multiinning leverage reliever in the mold of Chris Devenski. Hinch has started to deploy Francis Martes in some of those type of situations.
The 29-year-old Peacock has a 2.93 ERA in 551⁄3 innings as a starter and a 1.10 ERA in 161⁄3 innings as a reliever. Among major leaguers who have logged at least 70 innings, his 12.18 strikeouts-per-nine innings ranks fourth. Because he pitched only three innings Monday before a nearly two-hour rain delay ended his outing, he was available to the Astros in relief Wednesday in an emergency situation.
There is also the possibility the Astros acquire a starter before Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, which would make for another rotation shakeup.
Meanwhile, Will Harris pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts in his rehab outing with advanced Class A Buies Creek on Wednesday. Presuming he recovers, he should be activated along with Keuchel before Friday’s game.