Brewers Designate Joel Kuhnel for Assignment After Injury

The Milwaukee Brewers have designated right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel for assignment following his reinstatement from the 15-day injured list. This announcement was made on September 2, 2026.

Kuhnel, who is 31 years old, was acquired from the Athletics in June and had made ten appearances for the Brewers, allowing seven earned runs over 9 2/3 innings. He was placed on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement in July and began a rehab assignment on August 2, which lasted until the end of his 30-day maximum window. As he is out of options, the Brewers opted to designate him for assignment.

With the trade deadline passed, Kuhnel will be placed on waivers. He has shown potential with an average fastball velocity of around 95 miles per hour, although his performance has not yet yielded favorable results, reflected in his 5.58 earned run average over 129 innings. His recent rehab assignment showed similar statistics, with a strikeout rate of 18.2% and a ground ball rate of 65.6%. If he goes unclaimed, he may choose free agency due to his previous career outright.