Astros' Dallas Keuchel shut down from throwing

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CLEVELAND – Already facing an uphill battle in the American League wild card race, the Astros’ odds at making a second consecutive postseason took a huge hit Monday.

Lefthander Dallas Keuchel, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and their most important starting pitcher, was shut down from throwing after a diagnosis of inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Keuchel did not accompany the Astros to Cleveland, instead flying back to Houston where he visited with team doctors Monday.

In addition to scratching him from his start that had been scheduled for Tuesday against the Indians, the Astros have already ruled out their ace from starting this weekend against the Cubs. With only 25 games remaining on the Astros’ schedule after Monday, the rest of the pitcher’s season is shrouded in doubt.

“I don’t know,” manager A.J. Hinch said when asked if he thought Keuchel would pitch again this season. “We’ll have to get back and see how all of these tests come back and how he continues to feel.

“We tried to give him some gaps in time in giving him some rest periods. That hasn’t solved it. He’s going to go see the doctors he needs to see and until he’s pain free he’s not throwing. Where we’re at in the calendar is going to bring the obvious questions but we just don’t know right now.”

At the very least, the Astros will be forced to navigate consecutive series against the first-place Indians, Cubs and Rangers without Keuchel and Lance McCullers, who has still yet to throw off a mound in his rehab from an early August elbow sprain and isn’t scheduled to do so this week, either, Hinch said.

Brad Peacock will be summoned from Class AAA to start against the Indians on Tuesday opposite Cy Young Award candidate Corey Kluber.

Astros lefthander Dallas Keuchel flew back to Houston to get checked out by doctors after being scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday in Cleveland. Astros lefthander Dallas Keuchel flew back to Houston to get checked out by doctors after being scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday in Cleveland. Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 66 Caption Close Astros' Dallas Keuchel shut down from throwing 1 / 66 Back to Gallery

Originally slated to start last Friday’s series opener against the Rangers, the Astros pushed Keuchel back, first to Saturday or Sunday and then to Tuesday, because of what they described as fatigue and soreness. He played catch Sunday in Arlington but “didn’t feel great,” Hinch said, at which point the team opted to send him back to Houston for further evaluation, which included an MRI.

August was Keuchel’s best month amid an inconsistent season. He threw a three-hit shutout against the Rangers on Aug. 5 and after a clunker against the Cardinals turned in consecutive starts of at least seven innings of two runs or fewer against the Orioles and Rays.

It wasn’t until after his last start against Tampa Bay when Keuchel first felt the atypical soreness, according to Hinch. (The pitcher was not available for comment Monday and likely won’t address his status until the homestand that begins Friday.)

“It’s a difficult blow in that our rotation is going to need to have guys step up and pitch well to keep us in games,” Hinch said. “It’s never easy. I think every team this time of year, regardless of whether you’re in it or not, probably has some circumstances they’ve had to overcome. This is going to be ours.”