Former Houston Astros Pitcher DFA'd After Just 24 Hours With New Team

The former Houston Astros pitcher was called back up to the MLB by his new team only to be sent back down a day later.

Sep 10, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Joel Kuhnel (60) pitches during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros parted ways with a pitcher after one game earlier this season and that player made his way back to the MLB just to be DFA'd just a day later..

The Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of relief pitcher Joel Kuhnel on Tuesday, which would have been his second chance to make an impact in the big leagues this year.

Kuhnel played his college ball at the University of Texas at Arlington before being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB draft.

He made his debut in 2019 with Cincinnati where he spent a few seasons hovering around a 6.00 ERA. He mostly bounced back-and-forth between the minors and majors outside of 2022 where he had a 6.36 ERA in 53 games.

Houston traded for him in late 2023 for cash considerations. He played in seven games that season for the Astros with a 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings.

After the season, he elected free agency but found his way back to Houston with a minor-league deal. He's only appeared in one major league game this year, but gave up four runs on four hits over two innings pitched.

The Toronto Blue Jays then traded for him, once again for cash. He was DFA'd a few weeks later but cleared waivers and once again elected free agency.

He signed a minor-league deal a few weeks ago with Milwaukee, before having his contract selected on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pound reliever has had a solid season in Triple-A ball across his different stops, which could provide some confidence for a new team despite his past shortcomings.

In 19 games, 25 innings of work, he has a 2.52 ERA. He's never been an overwhelming strikeout guy, getting most of his outs with ground balls.

While the Brewers bullpen has been performing at a high level this season, the opportunity could still there for Kuhnel to carve out a role as someone to eat up innings as they search for more depth.

For now, he will either be headed back to the minors or electing free agency once again to find yet another new home.