MILWAUKEE — The Dallas Keuchel experiment in Milwaukee appears to be over.
The one-time Cy Young Award winner, acquired from Seattle in late June for cash, was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Keuchel gave up five consecutive hits to open the fourth inning as the Brewers let an early five-run lead slip away in a 6-5 loss to the Nationals on Saturday.
In four starts with the Brewers, Keuchel posted a 5.40 ERA, allowing 10 runs and 23 hits in 16⅔ innings, without a decision. The 36-year-old left-hander made it past the fourth inning just once, allowing two runs on four hits in 5⅓ innings in his second start against Colorado.
Milwaukee staked Keuchel to a 5-0 lead in the first Saturday, but he was lifted after allowing five hits and three runs without an out in the fourth inning, giving up eight hits overall in a 65-pitch outing.
The Brewers are expecting several injured pitchers to return after the All-Streak break, which contributed to the decision.
“Obviously, Dallas is a great pedigree and what he did, he kept us in a lot of games,” Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said Sunday. “He did a really good job for us. … I think it comes down to the number of players we have coming back.”
The Brewers have seven days to either work out a trade involving Keuchel or see whether he clears waivers. Keuchel also can reject an outright assignment and opt to become a free agent.
“We spoke to him last night,” Arnold said. “He was great, he’s a real pro. Obviously, we want what’s best for him.”
Keuchel, who won the 2015 AL Cy Young with Houston, was 7-4 with a 3.93 ERA this season with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, when he was acquired by Milwaukee.
Keuchel pitched in 10 games, including six starts, with Minnesota in 2023, with a 2-1 record and 5.97 ERA. In 2022, he was 2-9 with a 9.20 ERA in 14 starts with three different teams.
Keuchel is 103-92 with 4.04 ERA in his 13-year major league career, with two All-Star appearances. He was 20-8 with a 2.43 ERA with Houston in 2015, when he won the Cy Young.