Keuchel avoids structural damage in throwing arm

When the Houston Astros shut down Dallas Keuchel due to inflammation in his throwing arm, it was unclear how severe the injury was.

After getting evaluated, the left-hander told reporters Friday that, although he's still without a timetable to return, his MRI came back negative and there's no structural damage in his shoulder.

Keuchel said the training staff informed him that some extra rest should heal his shoulder, and he won't throw until after Sunday.

The 28-year-old was initially scheduled to pitch Friday before getting his start pushed to Tuesday due to fatigue, but was sent back to Houston for tests. At the time, general manager Jeff Luhnow said he wasn't sure if Keuchel was going to be able to pitch during the team's quest for the playoffs.

Although he's pitched better of late, Keuchel is still far from his Cy Young form from a year ago, owning a 4.55 ERA this season, going 9-12 with 144 strikeouts in 168 innings.

Last season, he had a sparkling 2.48 ERA, going 20-8 with 216 strikeouts in a career-high 232 innings.

The Astros sit 2 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot.