Dallas Keuchel to Make Rangers Debut vs. Tigers

The former Cy Young winner will take the place of a Rangers rookie who went on the injured list on Friday.

Dallas Keuchel will make his Texas Rangers debut on Saturday when he starts against the Detroit Tigers, the club announced on Friday.

Keuchel is currenly on the Rangers taxi squad and won’t be officially until Saturday. But the move coincides with the Rangers placing rookie pitcher Cole Ragans on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain.

The former Cy Young Award winner will wear No. 60. Catcher Meibrys Viloria, who currently has that number, will change to No. 20.

Keuchel is coming off his fourth start with the Express, as he threw seven innings of scoreless baseball, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out six. It was his most encouraging start since the Rangers signed him to a minor-league deal just after the All-Star Break.

It was also the second straight start in which he threw at least six innings. Against Oklahoma City on Aug. 13, he threw six innings, giving up four hits, two runs, four walks while striking out six.

In four games with Round Rock, dating back to his first start on Aug. 2 against Sugar Land, Keuchel has a 1-0 record with a 2.31 ERA. He’s given up six earned runs in 23 1/3 innings, along with 11 walks while striking out 22. He has a 1.03 WHIP.

Beyond Martin Pérez, the Rangers are without both Jon Gray and Spencer Howard due to injury. Gray joined the Rangers on a four-year, $56 million contract last offseason. Howard reportedly started throwing this week and the Rangers expect Gray to return at some point this season.

The Rangers will start Kohei Arihara on Sunday. The rest of the starting rotation includes Friday’s starter, Glenn Otto, and Dane Dunning.

Keuchel made 12 starts for the Chicago White Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 and has a 2-7 record with an 8.53 ERA.

The 34-year-old won the 2015 American League Cy Young Award with the Houston Astros. He is also a two-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove Award winner.

He has a career record of 101-89, with his Cy Young season being his best. He went 20-8 that season with a 2.48 ERA.

---

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter.