While the Houston Astros may have lost star outfielder George Springer to the disabled list on Friday, the team also welcomed back another star. Dallas Keuchel, Houston's ace and one of five All Star representatives from the Astros, comes off the disabled list on Friday after he missed over a month with a nagging neck injury.

The 29-year-old will return to some excellent numbers he left behind when he landed on the disabled list. Before the neck injury, Keuchel posted a 1.67 ERA and 2.91 xFIP across 11 starts for the Astros. It marked a rebound season for the southpaw who won the Cy Young Award in 2015, then turned in an awful 2016 season when he posted a 4.55 ERA.

If the neck issues are behind him for good, Keuchel looks prepared to roll on an excellent second half. A candidate for the A.L. Cy Young before his injury, Keuchel should continue to dominate opposing hitters. While his .222 BABIP will likely see some regression to his career rate of .292 and an ERA rise will come with it, a two-plus ERA still easily makes him an ace.

Fantasy owners will have to keep an eye out for news before Keuchel's starts as the neck issue will be something the team continues to monitor. Given Houston's 17-game lead in the A.L. West, it could opt to skip a start for Keuchel every now and then if any further issues come up. But for now, fantasy owners and Astros fans are excited to have their ace back.