Joel Kuhnel #54

Joel Kenneth Kuhnel (pronounced KOO-null)…Married, wife’s name is Taylor; has one daughter...2013 graduate of Sunrise Mountain High School (Ariz.)…Attended Central Arizona College and University of Texas at Arlington.

2025

Split his season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Phillies (Lehigh Valley) and Yankees (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and combined for a 4-2 record, seven saves, a 3.53 ERA and .677 opponents OPS in a Minor League career-high 50 appearances...Matched his career high in strikeouts (56)...Walked just 11 batters in 63.2 innings, an average of 1.55 per nine innings...Tied for third in the International League in games pitched...Allowed a .263 batting average, which broke down to .246 (28-for-114) with a .679 OPS against left-handed hitters compared to .287 (33-for-115) with a .772 OPS against right-handers… yielded four of his five home runs to lefties...Had .261 opponents batting average with runners in scoring position but they were 4-for-8 (.500) with a grand slam with the bases loaded...Converted 7-of-10 (70.0%) save opportunities…allowed 8-of-30 (26.7%) inherited runners to score…first batters faced were 9-for-45 (.200) with two walks and a sacrifice fly...Had a 1.23 ERA in the seventh inning and a 0.82 ERA in the eighth inning…however, logged a 7.24 ERA in the ninth inning and 40.50 in extra innings...Recorded more than three outs in 21 of his 50 appearances…walked one batter or fewer in all 50 games.

2024

Split the season between the HOU, TOR, MIL and TB organizations...Began the season with Sugar Land (AAA) in HOU’s Minor League system; made one appearance for HOU on 4/12 vs TEX...Traded to TOR on 5/4 and made six appearances for Buffalo (AAA) before being released...Signed by MIL on 6/9 and made seven appearances for Nashville (AAA)…Made five appearances with TB (1.13 ERA) and 13 for Durham (AAA) after being claimed off waivers on 7/23.

2023

Recorded a 5.54 ERA (8ER/13IP) in Major League games with Houston (seven G) and Cincinnati (two G) on the season...Notched a 4.66 ERA (5ER/9.2IP) with three strikeouts with Houston...Made the Reds Opening Day roster and made one appearance before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville on April 5...Would return to the Majors in June, make another appearance and was DFA’d on June 13...Traded to the Astros for cash on June 17 and optioned to Triple-A...Would end up making two Major League stints with the Astros (July 8-23, Sept. 1-22).

2022

Among the Reds' pitching leaders ranked behind only Alexis Díaz and Hunter Strickland in appearances (53), relief innings pitched (58.0) and relief strikeouts (56)...ranked T4th on the staff in holds (5) and fifth in games finished (13)...Was a non-roster invitee to 2022 Major League spring training camp and began the season at Louisville (10g, 3sv, 0-1, 2.61)...Was promoted on 5/8, when RHP Robert Dugger was designated for assignment, and spent the rest of the season with the Reds...In the 12-inning, 5-3 win on 6/14 at Ari earned his only Major League save...needed just five pitches to retire all three batters (6-3, 3U, 6-3), stranding the inherited runner...15 times threw more than 1.0 inning, including four of his last six appearances, and seven times threw a career-high 2.0 innings...In three consecutive appearances from 5/24-5/29 threw more than 1.0 inning, including 2.0-inning stints on 5/24 and 5/26 vs Cubs that tied his career high...Six times pitched on consecutive days (last, 8/29 & 8/30 vs StL)…never in his career has pitched on three straight days...Retired the first batter in 34 of his 53 appearances...stranded 11 of 17 inherited runners...Over seven appearances from 5/13-6/3 produced a career-high scoreless streak of 9.2 innings...From 7/13-9/7 produced homerless streaks of 21 games and 22.0 innings...Threw the last 2.0 innings of the 7-1 win on 9/7 at Cubs and recorded 4 strikeouts, tying career highs for both innings pitched (7th time) and strikeouts (8/22/22 at Phi)…Missed the series in Toronto while on the restricted list...On 1/19/22 was invited to Major League spring training camp after missing most of the 2021 season while on the minor league 60-day injured list recovering from 10/7/20 surgery to repair the torn capsule in his right shoulder.

2021

Spent most of the season on the minor league 60-day Injured List recovering from 10/7/20 surgery to repair the torn capsule in his right shoulder...On 9/7 was sent to Arizona Complex League Reds on a rehabilitation assignment...made one start and three relief appearances in Goodyear...On 9/21 was reinstated from the Injured List and assigned to Louisville, where he spent the rest of the minor league season...On 1/19/22 was invited to Major League Spring Training camp.

2020

Spent most of the season at the alternate training site as part of the Reds' 60-player pool...Made one appearance while on the roster from 8/8-8/11 and two more appearances from 8/29-8/30...In Game 2 of the doubleheader on 8/29 vs the Cubs threw a scoreless top of the seventh inning, then was credited with the win when the Reds scored two runs for a 6-5 walk-off victory...was promoted between games of that doubleheader, when LHP Jesse Biddle went on the 10-day injured list...Retired the first batter in all three of his appearances...Entered the season rated by MLB.com the 23rd-best prospect in the organization...Was not part of the Reds' 40-player Postseason pool...On 10/7 had surgery to repair the torn capsule in his right shoulder...On 10/26 cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville.

2019

Spent most of the season in the minor leagues, where in 41 appearances for Chattanooga and Louisville he combined to finish 5-3, 2.18 with 14 saves in 18 chances...Among Southern League pitching leaders ranked seventh in saves (10)...Per Baseball America, was voted by managers, scouts and executives the best reliever in the Southern League...In just his fourth professional season, in his Major League debut posted a 4.66 ERA in 11 appearances for the Reds...Allowed a season-high 4 runs in the 14-0 loss on 8/24 at Pit (0.1ip)...season ERA in his other 10 appearances was 0.96 (9.1ip, 1er)...Didn't allow a run in any of his last eight appearances of the season (6.1ip, 3h, 3bb, 6k, .136baa)…On 8/15 was promoted from Louisville as one of four roster moves (recalled RHP Matt Bowman, optioned to Louisville RHP Sal Romano, RHP Jared Hughes was claimed off waivers by the Phillies)…spent the rest of the season with the Reds...Made his Major League debut in the 13-4 loss on 8/16 vs StL...struck out his first batter, Yadier Molina... allowed a solo HR to Kolten Wong, his second batter...Became the fifth and last Reds player this season to make his Major League debut (CF Nick Senzel, IF/ OF Josh VanMeter, RHP Jimmy Herget, OF Brian O'Grady)…In the 3-2 win on 9/21 vs NYM retired his only batter (Pete Alonso, 6-3) to end the eighth inning and preserve the 2-2 tie...earned his first Major League victory after the Reds took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth and Raisel Iglesias saved the win...In the ninth inning of the 7-1 loss on 9/2 vs Phi, struck out the side (Scott Kingery, Andrew Knapp, pinch hitter Nick Williams)…Retired the first batter in 10 of his 11 appearances and stranded four of five inherited base runners...Began the season at Chattanooga...on 6/20 was promoted to Louisville...on 8/15 was promoted to the Reds.

2018

Was an All-Star after leading the Florida State League in saves.

2017

Led the Midwest League in appearances and ranked second among relievers by averaging just 1.41 walks per nine innings.