Former Red Joel Kuhnel is the Brewers latest bullpen machine

Joel Kuhnel, the Brewers' latest bullpen addition, is a former Reds pitcher. The 6-5, 290-pound right-hander was an 11th-round pick from UT Arlington and appeared in 14 games for Cincinnati in 2019-2020 before injuries sidelined him. Milwaukee acquired him late last week. Milwaukee’s pitching lab helped unlock Kuhnel’s velocity, with his fastball rising from 94 mph to around 100 mph in his debut, averaging 99.5 mph. This move adds a high-upside arm to a bullpen that leads the NL Central. Milwaukee is 41-23, and the Reds are 10.5 games back ahead of seven meetings through July 2.