The Milwaukee Brewers opened a four-game set with the Chicago Cubs looking to stabilize after a lopsided 17-3 defeat on Monday. They answered with a 9-4 win in the next meeting, yet the club still made a quiet but telling roster decision as Wednesday’s game approached.
Right-hander Joel Kuhnel, recently healthy after a shoulder issue, was activated from the 15-day injured list and immediately designated for assignment.
Kuhnel last pitched for Milwaukee on July 2 against Cincinnati. The club cited right rotator cuff tendinopathy when it placed him on the injured list a couple of days later.
Once he was cleared, the Brewers elected not to keep him on the active roster. The 31-year-old now heads to waivers, where another team could claim him if it wants extra bullpen depth before the stretch run.
His path to Milwaukee this season was already circuitous. The Athletics designated him for assignment in early June after a disastrous ninth inning at Wrigley Field in which he surrendered four earned runs while trying to protect a three-run lead.
Chicago walked off that night, and Oakland decided one poor outing was enough. Milwaukee claimed him for cash considerations the next day and added him to the big-league staff.
In 10 appearances with the Brewers, he posted a 6.52 ERA and recorded eight strikeouts while going 0-1. Those numbers were a step backward from the 4.21 ERA he carried in 25 games for the Athletics earlier in the year.
The 6-foot-5 sinker-baller has bounced among several organizations since debuting with Cincinnati in 2019. Across 117 major-league games he owns a 5-6 record, a 5.58 ERA and 98 strikeouts.
He has never been a high-strikeout pitcher, relying instead on ground balls and command. That profile can still play in the right bullpen, which is why a claiming team might take a look even if Milwaukee no longer sees a fit.
The move arrives while the Brewers continue to manage a crowded and sometimes injured pitching staff. Several arms remain on the injured list, and September roster flexibility gives clubs more options than they had in June or July.
Kuhnel’s designation frees a 40-man spot without requiring a corresponding promotion if the club prefers to wait. For the pitcher himself, the coming days will determine whether another franchise believes the early-season success he showed in Oakland can be recaptured.
As the Brewers and Cubs finish their series at Wrigley, the focus on the field remains the standings.
Off the field, Kuhnel’s sudden availability is a reminder of how quickly roles can change once a player returns from injury and the roster math no longer works in his favor.
