Astros' Keuchel not really a fan of 'extra rest' between starts
Pitchers are unique - that's an explanation for why Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel is so outspoken when it comes to the topic of extra rest between starts.
Because of the Astros' schedule in the second half, Keuchel pitches every six days for the club right now.
Whereas some pitchers may prefer extra rest, and could be statistically better with MORE rest as opposed to 'regular' rest, Keuchel isn't one of them.
As he explained to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle,
I would ultimately prefer not to have the rest, but it is what it is. We have plenty of good pitchers here. At this point in time, there’s no extra bullpens or anything (when your start gets pushed back). It’s August and there’s been enough bullets thrown to know what you have in the tank, and it’s just going to be my job to get ready and be a professional and go out there and pitch when I have to. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have the extra rest and I don’t think any of the other starters would like that, but you do what you’re told.
Drellich points out that Keuchel, who has made 25 starts on five or more days' rest over 2014 and 2015, has a 2.84 ERA in those games - as opposed to a 2.54 ERA in the 25 starts he's made on four days' rest.
Part of the issue, Keuchel told Drellich, is that the lefty doesn't see much value in just one extra day per start: “At this point in time, one day is not going to help out the body. So, I think we all just would like to prefer to stay on five days. A lot of guys have good routines and I don’t think I’m any different.”
Where Keuchel is different, of course, lies in his status as one of the premier pitchers in the American League over the past two seasons regardless of how much rest he's had between outings.
