CHICAGO _ Cubs reliever Brad Brach usually needs eight spring appearances to declare himself ready for a season.
That's why he marvels at the quick return of left-hander Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner who will make his second start Wednesday for the Braves despite not signing until June 7.
"It's pretty awesome," Brach said of Keuchel, 31, who threw five innings and 99 pitches in a loss to the Nationals on Friday in his 2019 debut. "It's interesting to see how someone can do that. We know he was working out on his own. That's the only way he could possibly do that, or they're so desperate for a starter that they rushed him a bit.
"But even so, it's impressive to see him get ready that quickly."
Brach said starting pitchers can gradually build their endurance up to four or five innings pitching in spring games.
"But it's tough to get to the level you need to be at, regardless if you throw to hitters on the side or at home," he said. "Good for him. He deserves a lot of the credit. He's was doing a lot of work when he was home and not hanging out on the couch."
Cubs pitcher Tyler Chatwood also was impressed with Keuchel's quick return to the majors, though he pointed out Keuchel relies more on command than velocity so he likely didn't lose much of his feel.
"He's a Cy Young Award winner, so he knows what he's doing out there," Chatwood said. "It's still very impressive, especially not to have a spring training.
"He knows how to pitch. He can maneuver through a lineup well. His sinker is good. So if he's throwing for strikes, he can get quick ground-ball outs."
