![]() "The main thing is my mechanics really suffered last year," Keuchel said. Pitching out of the stretch, Keuchel said, is "always the last thing to come." He mixed in cutters and sliders to complement his sinker and changeups, inducing only weak contact on the occasion one of the batters swung. Facing three Astros minor leaguers in Jason Martin, Dexture McCall and Conrad Gregor, he did not allow a hit or a run but issued back-to-back walks in his second inning of work. Keuchel has maintained he has felt healthy all offseason and spring, and after pitching Tuesday, he said his body and arm felt good. The Astros are relying on the 29-year-old to return to his 2014-2015 form, especially after not acquiring another front-line starter in the offseason. His 4.55 ERA last year marked a regression of more than two runs per nine innings. 27, his final start last season before he was shut down with inflammation in his rotator cuff.Īlthough a small and usually inconclusive sample, spring training games will be the first opportunity to gauge which version of Keuchel the Astros will get this season. He hasn't faced competition other than teammates since Aug. Keuchel, the former Cy Young Award winner on whom the Astros are depending for a bounce-back season, is in line to make four Grapefruit League starts before camp breaks March 29. Our next step for him is likely to be in a game, but in order to pin it down on a particular day, I'll probably need 24 hours or so." "This is his first time really exerting some energy on the mound. "It depends on how he feels over the next day or two," Hinch said. Hinch was not ready to commit to a specific day for Keuchel to make his first start, but Sunday appears the likeliest, presuming the pitcher recovers well. The next step for Dallas Keuchel should be his Grapefruit League debut.Īfter throwing 39 pitches over two-plus innings of a simulated game Tuesday morning, the Astros lefthander said he feels ready to pitch in spring training games. Karen Warren/Staff Photographer Show More Show Less Karen Warren/Staff Photographer Show More Show Less 3 of3 Dallas Keuchel was pleased to draw weak contact during his 39-pitch outing in Tuesday's simulated game in West Palm Beach, Fla. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Karen Warren/Staff Photographer Show More Show Less 2 of3 Pitching coach Brent Strom, left, and the rest of the Astros' braintrust will monitor Dallas Keuchel over the next few days before deciding whether to give him a start, possibly on Sunday. 1 of3 Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) during a post workout run during spring training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, in West Palm Beach, Florida, Friday, February 24, 2017. ![]()
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