It seems as though Kuhnel has been Milwaukee’s “break glass in case of emergency” pitcher but without that emergency ever arising. He has been selected to the Brewers’ roster twice this year and both of those stints on the roster resulted in him getting designated for assignment without pitching in a game.

Kuhnel has an option year remaining and they could have just sent him down to Nashville, but it’s possible they will be using that 40-man roster spot in the coming days. Each of Devin Williams, Joe Ross and DL Hall are on the 60-day injured list but each is rehabbing and could rejoin the big league club soon. Each of them will require roster spots once they are activated so the Brewers have opened one by designating Kuhnel for assignment today.

They will have one week to work a trade or pass Kuhnel through waivers, though the waiver process takes 48 hours, leaving a five-day window for trade talks. Kuhnel has 85 2/3 innings of major league experience with a 6.30 earned run average. His 19% strikeout rate is subpar but he’s limited walks to a 6.3% clip and kept 52.2% of balls in play on the ground.

This year, he has bounced between the Astros, Blue Jays and Brewers with only two innings in the majors. His 27 1/3 Triple-A innings have resulted in a 2.30 ERA, 15% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and his typical big ground ball rates.

With a 1.66 ERA over 38 innings this season, Koenig is the latest in a long string of unheralded pitchers to suddenly emerge as key members of Milwaukee’s bullpen.  After spending much of his career in independent leagues and the Australian Baseball League, Koenig didn’t even make his debut in affiliated baseball until he pitched for the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate in 2021, and he made his MLB debut in the form of 39 1/3 innings of 5.72 ERA ball with Oakland in 2022.  He then spent 2023 with the Padres’ Triple-A squad before being released, and he signed a minors deal with the Brewers last November.

Milwaukee selected Koenig’s minors deal to the big league roster in mid-April, and while he was optioned a couple of times, the southpaw has remained on the 26-man since the start of May since he was simply pitching too well to demote.  Koenig’s 89.7% strand rate and .238 BABIP are doing a lot of the heavy lifting on that ERA, but his 3.42 SIERA is still more than respectable, and generated by a 49.5% grounder rate and above-average strikeout and walk numbers.  Koenig’s sinker has a modest 94.5mph average velocity, but it quickly become a devastating pitch that has limited hitters to a .276 wOBA this season.

The 30-year-old’s breakout year has now unfortunately been halted by this injury, which Koenig told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) has been an issue “for the last few weeks.”  He’ll receive an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of any damage, though Koenig’s feeling is that the team’s medical staff “are not overly concerned” for now.

With Koenig sidelined, the Brewers will replace him with another left-hander signed to a minors deal in the offseason.  Zastryzny is a veteran of five MLB seasons, pitching with the Cubs from 2016-18 and then with the Mets, Angels, and Pirates in 2022-23, as those two stints were sandwiched around a three-year gap of time in the minors and the canceled 2020 minor league seasons.  Zastryzny has a 4.70 ERA over 59 1/3 innings and 45 total appearances in the Show, including his 4.79 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with Pittsburgh last season.

The numbers have been better at the Triple-A level for Zastryzny over the last few seasons, with a particular spike upward in his time with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate — a 3.18 ERA, 34.2% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate in 28 1/3 innings in Nashville.  It will be interesting to see if this production can carry over to the majors and whether or not the Brewers might’ve revived another pitcher, as Zastryzny joins Bryan Hudson and Hoby Milner as the left-handed options in Milwaukee’s bullpen.

The 27-year Roller was a 30th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2017 draft, and his long road in the minors finally resulted in a cup of coffee in the Show this season.  Roller appeared in a single game for the Brewers, pinch-hitting and playing three innings as a defensive sub in center field in Milwaukee’s 10-2 win over the Pirates on May 15, before being optioned back to Triple-A a few days later.

Roller has been in the Brewers’ organization since Milwaukee acquired him in a trade with the Guardians last August.  The 27-year-old’s Triple-A performance has been pretty respectable over his career, though it has been dragged down by a .201/.238/.321 slash line in 168 PA with Nashville this season.  It was enough for the Brewers to decide make Roller the odd man out of the roster mix, so he’ll now be exposed to the DFA wire before Milwaukee can potentially outright him off the 40-man.

As manager Pat Murphy told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters, Hall hurt his knee while fielding a bunt single from Michael Siani in the second inning.  The southpaw ended up lasting 3 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on five walks and five hits, though the sprain can’t be blamed for all these struggles, as Hall had already given up three walks and two hits before Siani’s single.

It remains to be seen how much time Hall could miss, as while Murphy described the strain as “mild,” the injury was still under evaluation.  However, the 15-day absence only adds to what has been a dreadful start to both Hall’s 2024 season and his Brewers tenure altogether.

Acquired from the Orioles as part of the Corbin Burnes trade package, Hall worked almost exclusively as a reliever in his two previous MLB seasons in Baltimore, but the Brewers opted to stretch him out as a starter.  The results haven’t been pretty — Hall has a 7.71 ERA, 15.5% strikeout rate, and an 11.9% walk rate across four starts and 16 1/3 innings.  Murphy told reporters yesterday that things would have to improve in order for Hall to stick in Milwaukee’s rotation, though this injury could put that decision on hold for at least a couple of weeks.

McCalvy figures that Bryse Wilson will likely be moved into the rotation in Hall’s place for the time being, both because of Wilson’s recent experience as a spot starter and due to a relative lack of other healthy options.  Hall joins Jakob Junis on the big league injured list, and top prospect Robert Gasser is on the IL at Triple-A.  Koenig has some starting experience but has worked primarily as a reliever since the start of the 2023 campaign, so it seems likelier that he’ll just replace Wilson in the long relief role.

Myers, 25, will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game, though he took quite a circuitous route to get here. Drafted by the Orioles way back in 2016, he was traded to the Rays the following year as the O’s acquired Tim Beckham. Ahead of the 2021 Rule 5 deadline, he was flipped to Cleveland in exchange for Junior Caminero and then added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster. Myers was designated for assignment in July of 2022, getting traded to the Giants for cash. He was later claimed off waivers by the White Sox, though that club outrighted him off their roster towards the end of the 2022 season. He reached minor league free agency and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers prior to 2023.

Along that winding road, he saw his prospect stock rise and fall. Baseball America considered him the Rays’ #15 prospect going into 2018, which was on the heels of a strong 2017 performance wherein Myers tossed 56 minors league innings with a 3.54 earned run average, 31.9% strikeout rate and 4.4% walk rate. Were in not for a very unlucky 52.1% strand rate, his performance would have been even better, which is why his FIP was a tiny 1.81.

But his strikeout-to-walk ratios were less impressive in the two following two seasons. He had a combed 3.05 ERA over 2018 and 2019 but with a subpar 18.7% strikeout rate and average-ish 8.1% walk rate. The minors were canceled by the pandemic in 2020 but Myers bounced back somewhat in 2021. He tossed 117 2/3 innings over 25 outings, 22 starts, with a 3.90 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. It was then that he was traded to the Guards for Caminero and BA ranked him the #23 prospect in Cleveland’s system.

But in 2022, as he bounced to the Guardians, Giants and White Sox, he tossed 76 innings on the farm with a ghastly 7.82 ERA, striking out just 14.2% of opponents while giving them free passes at a 13.5% clip.

With the Brewers last year, he improved in terms of strikeouts and walks but the long ball was an issue. He threw 140 2/3 frames with a 29.3% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate, but the 30 home runs allowed led to a 4.93 ERA. So far this year, he’s made three Triple-A starts with a 1.84 ERA in that small sample.

Given the inconsistency, it’s hard to know what to expect from Myers at this point, but the Brewers have largely been getting decent results out of him in the past year-plus. Since he’s stretched out, he can give the club a bit of length. He has a couple of options and can provide the club with some roster flexibility well into the future if he continues to hang onto his 40-man spot.

Gutierrez, 28, was claimed off waivers by the Brewers less than two weeks ago. He was optioned to Triple-A and made two appearances on the farm before getting bumped off the 40-man roster today. Milwaukee will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers.

He was once a highly-touted prospect himself but has a 5.47 ERA through 154 2/3 major league innings thus far, mostly with the Reds. He missed most of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery and was outrighted by the Reds at season’s end. He signed a minor league deal with the Marlins this winter and was selected to the roster but was designated for assignment after one appearance, which led him to the Brewers via the aforementioned waiver claim.

He could perhaps garner interest from other clubs, either due to his previous prospect pedigree or the various injuries piling up around the league or both. The fact that Gutierrez still has a couple of options means he won’t even need an active roster spot.

Koenig, 30, is getting his second crack at the major leagues after initially making his debut with Oakland back in 2022. A 35th-round pick by the White Sox out of high school in the 2014 draft, the southpaw didn’t receive an offer from the club after being drafted and was never drafted again, instead fashioning a career for himself in independent ball after college. After several years spent in indy ball, Koenig had a strong season with the Frontier League’s Lake Erie Crushers that saw him post a 2.24 ERA in 104 1/3 innings of work with a 30.6% strikeout rate. That performance earned him the attention of the A’s, who signed him to a minor league deal.

The left-hander continued to find success upon being assigned to the Double-A level in 2021, leading to him eventually contributing to the big league club in 2022. Koenig’s long road to the major leagues ended with him pitching 39 1/3 innings for the A’s that saw him post a lackluster 5.72 ERA with a 4.84 FIP, striking out just 12.4% of batters faced. Koenig returned to the minors last year, this time in the Padres organization, before signing on with the Brewers prior to the 2024 campaign.

In Milwaukee, Koenig figures to join the bullpen in a short relief capacity after transitioning out of his previous long relief/starting role last season. He’s looked good in four appearances with Triple-A Nashville, posting a 1.93 ERA while punching out 50% of the batters he’s faced. He’ll try to carry that success over to the big league Brewers, where he’ll join Bryan Hudson and Hoby Milner among the left-handed options at manager Pat Murphy’s disposal.

Coming up from Triple-A alongside Koenig is Wiemer, who appeared in 132 games for the Brewers as a rookie last season. The 25-year-old offers stellar outfield defense (his +8 Outs Above Average placed him in the 93rd percentile of major leaguers last year, per Statcast) and is capable of handling all three positions on the grass, but struggled to a .204/.283/.362 slash line in 410 trips to the plate last year.

While that offense certain left something to be desired, Wiemer was actually well above average against southpaws in 2023, slashing a much stronger .267/.298/.517 with seven home runs and eight doubles in just 121 trips to the plate against lefties. Wiemer figures to provide a right-handed complement to the club’s current center field duo of Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick, while also potentially freeing up Frelick for occasional reps at third base where the club is currently utilizing a combination of Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn.

Making room for Wiemer on the active roster is Monasterio, who has struggled in limited playing time this season. He’s gone hitless in nine plate appearances this season despite drawing two walks against just one strikeout, and will now head to Triple-A where he can get more regular playing time. Monasterio made his big league debut with the club last season, slashing .259/.330/.348 in 92 games while splitting time between second and third base.

Meanwhile, Koenig takes the roster spot of Bukauskas, who is headed to the injured list due to a lat strain. Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Bukauskas is set to undergo imagining on his shoulder before the Brewers determine a timeline for his return due to the right-hander’s lengthy history of lat injuries. Bukauskas has looked good through six appearances with the Brewers this year, striking out 27.3% of batters faced with just one earned run allowed on a solo homer to this point. Mitchell’s placement on the 60-day IL, meanwhile, hardly comes as a shock given the club does not expect him to return until June as he rehabs from a hand fracture.

Paredes elected free agency a few weeks ago after being waived by the Astros. The right-hander had previously spent his entire career in the Houston organization. Paredes pitched out of Dusty Baker’s bullpen at times from 2020-22, tallying 32 1/3 innings over 37 cumulative appearances. He worked to a 3.90 ERA but walked almost a fifth of opposing hitters.

Now 28, Paredes spent the entire 2023 season on optional assignment to Houston’s Triple-A club. He allowed 4.80 earned runs per nine over 54 1/3 innings in the Pacific Coast League. While Paredes’ 27.3% strikeout rate there was solid, his 18.6% walk percentage was similarly untenable as the mark he’s managed in his MLB career. He has a mid-90s heater but will need to dramatically improve his strike-throwing to carve out a spot in the middle innings for Milwaukee.

Koenig, 30 in January, also spent all of 2023 in Triple-A. He was in the Padres system on a minor league pact. Koenig allowed an even 5.00 ERA over 45 frames with their top affiliate in El Paso. He kept the ball on the ground at a 51.1% clip with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk marks.

His only major league work came in 2022. Koenig pitched 39 1/3 innings over 10 appearances (five starts) with Oakland. The soft-tossing lefty posted a 5.72 ERA while striking out 12.4% of opponents in green and gold. He could provide the Brew Crew with long relief depth in Triple-A if he doesn’t break camp.

Koenig, an undrafted player in 2017, spent a couple years in independent ball to open his professional career. He eventually landed a minor league deal with the A’s heading into 2021. Koenig pitched well for their Double-A affiliate that season and got a bump to Triple-A Las Vegas to open last year. He went on to throw 107 innings of 4.71 ERA ball — deceptively solid production considering the Pacific Coast League’s extreme hitter-friendly nature — over 20 Triple-A outings.

That upper minors production earned Koenig a major league call last June. He’d make ten appearances (five starts) in green and gold, allowing a 5.72 ERA in 39 1/3 innings. He only struck out 12.4% of opponents on a minuscule 6.4% swinging strike percentage. Yet he induced grounders at a strong 48.5% clip and kept his walk rate to a manageable 8.5% mark.

Oakland non-tendered Koenig at the start of the offseason, sending him directly to free agency without first going through waivers. The 29-year-old now joins the second affiliated organization of his career. Koenig adds a strike-throwing rotation depth arm to the San Diego system. He doesn’t brandish a power arsenal, averaging only 89.2 MPH on his sinker and 77.6 MPH on a curveball during his major league look. Koenig found success in spite of the lack of velocity in the upper minors, mixing five pitches and throwing a decent number of strikes.

San Diego looks set to open the season with a six-man rotation of Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo. Depth options on the 40-man roster include Jay Groome, Brent Honeywell Jr., Adrián Morejón, Reiss Knehr and Ryan Weathers. Koenig will slot in behind that group. He joins Julio Teheran, Cole Hamels, Wilmer Font and Aaron Brooks among non-roster rotation options who have some big league experience.

There aren’t as many starting pitchers for clubs to sort through as there were bullpen targets, with 19 remaining hurlers who tallied at least 20 rotation innings this past season. We’ll look at the top half of that group by various metrics to determine who teams figure to prioritize as they seek starting pitching depth.

Note: all figures cited, including league averages, are looking solely at pitchers’ outings as starters.

ERA (league average — 4.05)

1. Johnny Cueto (RHP), 3.29
2. Michael Wacha (RHP), 3.32
3. Wade Miley (LHP), 3.34
4. Bryan Garcia (RHP), 3.54
5. Zack Greinke (RHP), 3.68
6. Devin Smeltzer (LHP), 4.02
7. Zach Davies (RHP), 4.06
8. Aníbal Sánchez (RHP), 4.28
9. Drew Hutchison (RHP), 4.52

Strikeout rate (league average — 21.6%)

1. Chase Anderson (RHP), 24.6%
2. Matt Swarmer (RHP), 22.4%
3. Bryan Garcia, 20.2%
4. Michael Wacha, 20.2%
5. Chris Archer (RHP), 19.2%
6. Wade Miley, 18.4%
7. Zach Davies, 17.9%
8. Chad Kuhl (RHP), 17.8%
9. Mike Minor (LHP), 16.7%

Strikeout/walk rate differential (league average — 14.1 percentage points)

1. Michael Wacha, 14.2 points
2. Matt Swarmer, 13.1 points
3. Dylan Bundy (RHP), 11.1 points
4. Chase Anderson, 10.6 points
5. Johnny Cueto, 10.5 points
6. Wade Miley, 9.2 points
7. Michael Pineda (RHP), 9 points
8. Aaron Sanchez (RHP), 9 points
9. Zach Davies, 8.8 points

Ground-ball rate (league average — 42.5%)

1. Wade Miley, 54.2%
2. Aaron Sanchez, 51.3%
3. Chase Anderson, 50.9%
4. Dallas Keuchel (LHP), 50.2%
5. Jared Koenig (LHP), 47.2%
6. Chris Archer, 43.7%
7. Zach Davies, 42.9%
8. Johnny Cueto, 42.5%
9. Zack Greinke, 41.3%

FIP (league average — 4.04)

1. Johnny Cueto, 3.76
2. Wade Miley, 4.00
3. Zack Greinke, 4.03
4. Michael Wacha, 4.14
5. Chase Anderson, 4.37
6. Chris Archer, 4.49
7. Aaron Sanchez, 4.61
8. Dylan Bundy, 4.66
9. Zach Davies, 4.83

Innings pitched

1. Johnny Cueto, 153 1/3
2. Dylan Bundy, 140
3. Zack Greinke, 137
4. Chad Kuhl, 137
5. Zach Davies, 134 1/3
6. Michael Wacha, 127 1/3
7. Chris Archer, 102 2/3
8. Mike Minor, 98
9. Drew Hutchison, 89 2/3

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month. Onto the transactions…

Latest Transactions

• The Mariners announced that they have non-tendered three players: catchers Brian O’Keefe and Luis Torrens, as well as righty Luke Weaver. Weaver was just claimed off waivers from the Royals a few weeks ago but will now become a free agent.
• The White Sox announced three non-tenders: outfielders Adam Engel and Mark Payton, as well as infielder Danny Mendick. Engel is generally considered a strong defensive outfielder but he struggled at the plate in 2022. Mendick played all over the diamond while hitting .289/.343/.443 for a wRC+ of 125.
• The Guardians announced they have non-tendered lefty Anthony Gose and catcher Luke Maile. Gose was designated for assignment earlier in the week. Maile got into 76 games hit at a below-average level with roughly average defensive marks.
• The Angels announced four non-tenders: lefties Jhonathan Diaz and Rob Zastryzny, as well as righties Touki Toussaint and Nash Walters. The latter three names were designated for assignment a few days ago.
• The Rays have non-tendered Ryan Yarbrough, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa designated him for assignment earlier in the week.
• The Blue Jays announced that they have non-tendered outfielders Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer, as well as infielder Vinny Capra. The two former names were designated for assignment a few days ago.

Earlier Moves

• The Athletics announced that they did not tender contracts to three players: right-hander Deolis Guerra, left-hander Jared Koenig and infielder David MacKinnon. Guerra is the most seasoned of the trio, having made his MLB debut back in 2015 and made 136 appearances. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in April, missing the entire 2022 campaign and possibly some of 2023 as well.
• The Red Sox are non-tendering outfielder/first-baseman Franchy Cordero, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Cordero appeared in 84 games for the Red Sox this past season, but hit just .219/.300/.397 with eight home runs while grading out very poorly on defense.  The Sox have also non-tendered infielder Yu Chang, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The versatile infielder began the year with the Guardians but subsequently went to the Pirates in a trade, then went to the Rays and Red Sox on waiver claims. Across those four teams, he hit .208/.289/.315 for a wRC+ of 78.
• The Astros will part ways with reliever Josh James, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports they’re expected to non-tender him tonight. He spent the entire 2022 campaign in the minors, and underwent flexor tendon surgery in October and is without a timetable to return.
• The Rangers announced that right-hander Nick Snyder has not been tendered a contract. He only has 4 2/3 innings of MLB experience over the past couple of seasons. He spent most of 2022 in Triple-A, posting a 4.97 ERA over 38 innings, though with a 30.9% strikeout rate.
• The Royals opted to non-tender lefty Jake Brentz and right-hander Nate Webb, the team announced. That’s no surprise, as both players were designated for assignment earlier this week. They lost their 40-man roster spots as a result, but the non-tender means Kansas City won’t need to run them through waivers before sending them directly to free agency. Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweets that Kansas City is tendering contracts to the rest of their arbitration class, including Brad Keller and Amir Garrett — each of whom seemed to have a small chance of being cut loose after tough seasons.

One of four minor leaguers acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson blockbuster, Langeliers was arguably the headlining piece of the return. The former No. 9 overall pick is a well-regarded defender, and he brings a fair bit of power potential offensively. The 24-year-old has spent the entire season at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .281/.362/.513 with 19 home runs across 381 plate appearances. The Pacific Coast League’s extreme hitter-friendly nature has no doubt aided that production, but Langeliers’ strong defense means he’d be a very valuable performer with even adequate production in the batter’s box. Baseball America recently ranked the Baylor product the No. 2 prospect in the Oakland system and the sport’s No. 84 farmhand overall.

Langerliers’ forthcoming arrival coincides with a down cycle for the A’s, who stripped down the roster and payroll over the offseason. They’ve fallen to the bottom of the American League as a result, and there’s been some speculation they could move primary backstop Sean Murphy as part of the organizational overhaul. Murphy, who is controllable through 2025, drew interest before last week’s trade deadline but ultimately remained in the Bay Area. It stands to reason his name will be floated in rumors again this winter.

Some more out of Oakland:

• Right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. has yet to throw his first pitch as a member of the A’s. Acquired from the Rays last November, Honeywell suffered an olecranon stress reaction in his elbow during Spring Training. He’s spent the entire season on the injured list, but the club isn’t ruling out the possibility he makes a late-season return. Martín Gallegos of MLB.com tweets that Honeywell is likely to throw a simulated game this week. Skipper Mark Kotsay suggested the club hasn’t yet determined whether there’ll be enough time for the 27-year-old to build back as a starting pitcher this season. A former top prospect, Honeywell has only managed 4 1/3 career big league innings because of a brutal series of elbow injuries. He’s out of minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on the major league roster once he’s healthy or be exposed to waivers.
• The starting rotation is a broad area of uncertainty for the A’s, as Melissa Lockard of the Athletic explores. The trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Bronx subtracted the club’s highest-octane arm and dropped them to three rotation locks: Cole Irvin, Paul Blackburn and James Kaprielian. Among those competing for the final two spots are Zach Logue, Adam Oller, Adrián Martínez and Jared Koenig. All four hurlers have gotten at least five starts on the year, but they’ve each posted an ERA of 4.98 or higher with a well below-average strikeout rate. Lockard suggests that two of the pitchers acquired in the Montas deal — JP Sears and Ken Waldichuk — could factor into the big league rotation down the stretch. Sears started two of seven MLB appearances with the Yankees this season, his first taste of big league action. Waldichuk has yet to make his big league debut and isn’t yet on the 40-man roster, although he’ll have to be added this offseason. Both Sears and Waldichuk have started their organizational tenures in Las Vegas.

June  8: The Athletics announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Gabe Klobosits for assignment and optioned righty Domingo Tapia to Triple-A Las Vegas. That pair of moves creates space for lefty Jared Koenig, whose contract has been formally selected. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay announced earlier this week that Koenig would be selected from Triple-A to start today’s game.

Acquired on a waiver claim from the Nationals back on April 11, Klobosits has spent the entire season with Las Vegas, where he’s posted an unsightly 7.59 ERA in 10 2/3 frames. The towering 6’8″ righty fanned nearly a quarter of his opponents but also issued a walk to 11.8% of the batters he faced.

Klobosits made his MLB debut with the Nats in 2021, pitching to a 5.56 ERA in a small sample of 11 1/3 innings. He averaged 94.8 mph on his heater during that time and induced chases on pitches outside the strike zone at a gaudy 35.6% clip. The former 36th-round pick also posted a 1.64 ERA with a 28.9% strikeout rate against a respectable 8.8% walk rate in a combined 38 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year, so despite his struggles in a brief stint with the A’s, he’s had some success in the upper minors.

Notably, Klobosits does not appear on the minor league injured list but also hasn’t pitched in a game for the Aviators since mid-May. The reason for that layoff isn’t clear. Regardless, the A’s will have a week to trade Klobosits, attempt to pass him through outright waivers (assuming he is in good health; injured players cannot be outrighted) or release him.

A start against the World Series champions is quite the culmination of a long journey for Koenig, who hadn’t even played affiliated baseball until 2021.  A 35th-round pick for the White Sox in the 2014 draft, Koenig opted for college ball but then went undrafted after two years of NCAA action.  From there, Koenig spent the 2017-19 seasons pitching in the indy leagues and in the Australian Baseball League before catching on with the Athletics on a minor league deal.

After pitching well in Double-A in 2021, Koenig has done even better at the Triple-A level in 2022.  The southpaw has a 2.21 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate over 53 innings (starting eight of nine games) for Triple-A Las Vegas.  With a 3.43 FIP and 4.20 xFIP, Koenig is perhaps a little fortunate to have such a low ERA, though his numbers certainly stand out in the hitter-friendly Vegas environment.

Koenig will become the ninth different pitcher to make a start for Oakland this season, as the Athletics are still looking for consistency in the rotation in the wake of trading Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea during the offseason.  Zach Logue was optioned back to Triple-A last week, opening the door for Koenig to get a shot at age 28.  With the A’s in the midst of a rebuild, an opportunity exists for Koenig to grab a rotation spot if he proves he can handle MLB batters.