MINNEAPOLIS — Former Houston Astros star Dallas Keuchel is back. Kind of.
The former American League Cy Young Award winner signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins earlier this week in an attempt to make a major league comeback.
The 35-year-old southpaw was 2-9 with a 9.20 ERA in 14 starts last year with the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers. He was released by the Rangers on Sept. 4 and had been a free agent since.
For his career, Keuchel is 101-91 with a 3.98 ERA. He's been working with performance coaches at Driveline Baseball in Washington.
“We’re glad to have him in the organization and to give him an opportunity to go out there and pitch and show all the things that he’s been working on, because I’ve heard he’s been working on a few things,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said before Thursday's game against Boston.
Minnesota does not have a left-handed starter in its rotation.
Signed to a $55.5 million, three-year deal with the White Sox in December 2019, Keuchel was 6-2 with a 1.99 ERA for the White Sox in 2020 and finished fifth in Cy Young voting.
He slumped to 9-9 with a 5.28 ERA in 2021 and had a 7.88 ERA in eight starts last year, then was designated for assignment on May 28 and released two days later.
