Dallas Keuchel to Make 1st Astros Start in 8 Weeks Friday vs. Tigers

The Houston Astros finally got some good injury news Wednesday with Dallas Keuchel set to return from the disabled list.

According to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, the ace will start Friday against the Detroit Tigers. It will be his first appearance in eight weeks while he dealt with a neck injury.

Keuchel was off to an outstanding start to the season before landing on the DL. In 11 starts, he posted a 9-0 record with a 1.67 ERA and a 0.872 WHIP. Even with the missed time, it was enough to earn his second career All-Star selection.

Unfortunately, a pinched nerve forced him off the field, an injury that caused him to be more cautious with his return.

"If I had to pitch, I would pitch right now," Keuchel said in June, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "I want to be 100 percent symptom-free, and everybody's on board with that."

Although consistency has been a bit of an issue with the left-hander in his career—he followed up a Cy Young season in 2015 by nearly doubling his ERA to 4.55 in 2016—his return will be a nice boost to a squad that is also dealing with injuries to key players like Carlos Correa and Collin McHugh.

With that said, the Astros haven't missed a step without their top pitcher, beginning the season with a 67-33 record to lead the American League.

Adding a healthy Keuchel will make this squad even more dangerous heading into the stretch run.