The San Francisco Giants claimed right-hander Joel Kuhnel off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, adding another veteran arm as they play out a lost season, per MLB.com’s transaction log.
Milwaukee had designated Kuhnel for assignment earlier in the week after activating him from the injured list at the end of a rehab assignment.
San Francisco also transferred catcher Jesus Rodriguez to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.
Kuhnel, 31, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds. He is out of minor-league options, so the Giants must carry him on the active roster when he reports. That makes the late-season look more than a depth shuffle.
San Francisco can evaluate whether his stuff plays in the big leagues over the final weeks.
This is Kuhnel’s third organization of 2026. He signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics last winter, reached the majors in April, and was later traded to Milwaukee for cash on June 6. Combined with Oakland and Milwaukee, he has a 4.84 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
With the Brewers, he made 10 appearances before a shoulder issue landed him on the injured list in July. He then posted a 1.64 ERA in 11 Triple-A innings on rehab. When the assignment window closed, Milwaukee chose to designate him rather than keep him on the roster.
The profile is familiar. Kuhnel’s four-seamer and sinker sit around 95 mph. He also throws a cutter, curveball, slider, and changeup. He does not miss many bats — his strikeout rate is modest — but he generates ground balls more than half the time and generally throws strikes.
Career numbers in the majors are uneven: a 5.58 ERA in 129 innings across the Reds, Astros, Rays, Athletics, and Brewers. The minor-league track record is stronger.
Since the start of 2024, he has a 3.08 ERA in nearly 120 Triple-A innings. Teams keep claiming him because the velocity and ground-ball rates still look useful.
For the Giants, this is a low-cost look at a power arm who can work in low-leverage spots. If Kuhnel keeps the ball on the ground and holds the mid-90s velocity, he could pitch his way into consideration for 2027.
If not, September is still an inexpensive audition. Either way, San Francisco now has a 290-pound right-hander with six years of big-league service time and a chance to show something in the last month of the year.
