The Milwaukee Brewers have been losing arms left and right to injuries over the last few weeks. On Saturday, the Brewers responded.
Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported that the Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel from the Athletics for cash. On top of this, the Brewers transferred Quinn Priester to the 60-Day Injured List.
"The banged-up Brewers have made a trade: Acquired right-handed pitcher Joel Kuhnel from the A's in exchange for cash. To make room on the 40-man, Quinn Priester was transferred to the 60-day IL," McCalvy wrote.
May 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Joel Kuhnel (47) throws to a Seattle Mariners batter during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
Kuhnel isn't a big-name hurler, by any means. But he's yet another bullpen depth option for a club that desperately needs arms. Kuhnel is a six-year big league veteran with a career 5.51 ERA in 107 total appearances. So far this season, he has a 4.21 ERA in 25 outings for the Athletics across 25 2/3 innings of work. The move makes a lot of sense for Milwaukee , especially because of the fact that fellow reliever DL Hall was placed on the Injured List with a pec injury that's going to take him out of action for at least a few weeks .
With Kuhnel, he's actually in the middle of the best season of his career in the big leagues. His career high for appearances in a season was 53 back in 2022, but he had a 6.36 ERA that year. He's already pitched in the second-most games in a big league season of his career to this point. If the season were to end today, his 4.21 ERA would be his lowest mark of his career. One thing that's true as well is Milwaukee always seems to find a way to get the most out of its hurlers, so it's pretty safe to assume that the Brewers will find a way to maximize him.
With Priester, he's currently down with the ACL Brewers working his way back. Because he has been on the Injured List all season to this point, moving to the 60-Day Injured List doesn't add another 60 days to his total. But the fact that he was moved to the 60-Day IL is a clear sign that his return isn't imminent, at the very least. It's been a tough season for Priester so far as he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome. Hopefully, he's able to continue making progress and make an appearance in the majors at some point in 2026.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Trade for Athletics Pitcher, Announce Quinn Priester 60-Day IL News .
