Brewers Designate Joel Kuhnel For Assignment

The Brewers announced that right-hander Joel Kuhnel has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list and designated for assignment. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com was among those to relay the news.

Kuhnel, 31, was acquired from the Athletics in a cash deal in June. He made ten appearances for Milwaukee, allowing seven earned runs in 9 2/3 innings, before a shoulder impingement landed him on the IL in July. He began a rehab assignment on August 2. Rehab assignments for pitchers come with a 30-day maximum. Kuhnel got to the end of his window and it seems the Brewers didn’t want to put him back on the roster. Since he is out of options, he has been designated for assignment.

Since the trade deadline has passed, Milwaukee will have to place Kuhnel on waivers. He has big stuff, averaging around 95 miles per hour with both his four-seamer and sinker. That hasn’t translated into good results yet but teams clearly like his potential. Despite a 5.58 earned run average in 129 innings, he has bounced from the Reds to the Astros, Rays, A’s and Brewers in recent years.

Despite his velocity, Kuhnel isn’t really about missing bats. His 17.4% strikeout rate is a few ticks below average but his 6.4% walk rate and 51.4% ground ball rate are both strong figures. He put up similar numbers on his recent rehab assignment, with an 18.2% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate and 65.6% ground ball rate. Perhaps he will entice another club and get claimed in the coming days. If not, he will have the right to elect free agency since he has a previous career outright.