When Dallas Keuchel takes possession of the ball for the Texas Rangers for the first time on Saturday night, he will go out to prove that he still has something to offer a major league team past this season.
The former Cy Young champion, now 34, will start for the Rangers against Detroit on Saturday night. It will be his first start in the major leagues since coming on July 12 against the Arizona Diamondbacks against San Francisco.
Rangers put Keuchel into the taxi team on Friday and are set to purchase his contract the Saturday before the start. Texas beat the Tigers Friday night, he went 7-6.
Going out six weeks ago was not kind. Keuchel went 2 his 1/3 innings, allowing 8 hits and 8 runs, allowing 1 walk and 4 strikeouts.He took the loss. Shortly after, the Diamondbacks released him.
It was the second time a major league team released him in 2022. The Chicago White Sox released him in May.
Keuchel Pitched for the first time in his career Grove Life Field. But he’s got plenty of experience against Detroit, where he’s played 15 games against the Tigers, where he’s 5-4 with a 4.98 ERA and has started 13 games. He will play against the Tigers again this year. On June 6 against Arizona, he pitched his 4 and he 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs (gained), 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. he didn’t make a decision.
In 2022, Keuchel is 2-7 with an 8.53 ERA in 12 games. Keuchel is not looking to turn the season around. He’s looking to advance his career and plans to do so in rookie Cole Lagans’ rotation. And triple A round rock he’s after some quality started with Express.
After signing with the Rangers last month, he was assigned to the Express and went 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four starts while allowing opponent slashes of .163/.264/.250/.514. He finished with his 11 walks, 22 strikeouts and a 1.029 WHIP. He also gave up just one home run.
Keuchel was due to start in Albuquerque before being called up to Arlington on Saturday, so he’s been pitching with more than five days off. However, he made his first Rangers start after three consecutive quality starts and nine consecutive scoreless innings. In his final start against El Paso, he pitched seven innings in which he had four shutouts, one walk, and six strikeouts.
But does he still have it at the major league level? That’s a question Keuchel has about a month or so to answer, assuming the Rangers stay with him after Saturday’s start.
He went 9-9 with a 5.28 ERA for the 2021 White Sox. This is a harbinger of an uphill battle this season. But prior to that, Keuchel’s ERA had never been below 5.00 since his second season with Houston in 2013. In the meantime, he had a year with an ERA of 4 or less in 2016, when he was 4.55.
His career record is 101-89. His Cy Young season was in 2015 when he went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA. He’s a two-time All-Star. He’s his five-time gold-hit glove fielder. he is the world champion
Now the Rangers will see if their low-cost investment — a minor league deal — pays off.
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