The Houston Astros have watched their starting rotation take hit after hit thanks to various injuries. They have Justin Verlander, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr, J.P. France, and Jose Urquidy out entering the second half. That’s more almost the entire envisioned rotation for the team. As such, they’ll need some reinforcements at the trade deadline.

The deadline is just over a week away, and starting pitching is going to be hot commodity. It isn’t going to be easy for the Astros, who have fought their way back into contention after a dreadful start to the season.

But there is one plug-and-play option available that could be of use to them. Former Astro Dallas Keuchel was recently designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. He elected free agency shortly thereafter.

Astros could reunite with former star hurler Dallas Keuchel

Keuchel came up through the Astros system in 2012. He won a Cy Young Award with the team in 2015 when he recorded 20 victories and posted a 2.48 ERA. If the Astros add him, it would be far from a big swing, as there are a lot of other options available.

But it might not hurt to reunite with an old friend, somebody who was with the team when they won their first World Series title in 2017. The 36-year-old is far removed from what he once was, but he is a decent plug-and-play option and can get the Astros by until the deadline, when more pitchers are traded.

Keuchel made just four starts for the Brewers, posting a 5.40 ERA over 16.2 innings of work. He’s bounced around since 2022 when the Chicago White Sox cut him loose. He has had stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins, none of which went particularly well. The left-handed had an ERA of 9.00 in 2022 between the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Rangers, and 5.97 last year with the Twins.

The Astros currently sit just a game back of the Seattle Mariners in the American League West and 3.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the third and final Wild Card spot.