The Milwaukee Brewers have made a significant roster move, designating veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel for assignment, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. In his place, the team has selected right-hander Joel Kuhnel to join their 40-man and active rosters, as reported by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The 36-year-old Keuchel was acquired by the Brewers in a trade with the Seattle Mariners last month while on a minor league deal. He made four starts for the club, but struggled, posting a 5.40 ERA with 11 strikeouts and eight walks in 16 2/3 innings of work. In his most recent start against the Washington Nationals, Keuchel surrendered three runs on eight hits in just three innings.

The Brewers now have seven days to work out a trade involving Keuchel or attempt to pass him through waivers. As a 13-year MLB veteran, Keuchel has the right to reject an outright assignment and become a free agent if he clears waivers.

Despite Keuchel's struggles in Milwaukee, there is a possibility that his time in the Mariners' system could attract interest from other teams in need of pitching depth. He performed well in Triple-A's Pacific Coast League, recording a solid 3.93 ERA with a 59.5% groundball rate.

In the meantime, the Brewers have turned to 29-year-old Joel Kuhnel to fill the void. Kuhnel made his MLB debut in 2019 and has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons. Although his opportunities have been limited, he showed promise in 2022 with the Cincinnati Reds, posting solid underlying metrics such as FIP, xFIP, xERA, and SIERA.

However, since 2023, Kuhnel has only pitched 15 innings in the big leagues, experiencing mixed results with a 7.20 ERA and 5.84 FIP. Despite this, both the Blue Jays and Brewers have added him to their 40-man rosters this year. Kuhnel has excelled at the Triple-A level in 2023, recording a 2.30 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, despite a relatively low 15% strikeout rate.

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, several teams are in search of starting pitching. Keuchel's previous success and Kuhnel's potential could make them attractive options for clubs looking to bolster their rotations.

The Brewers hope that Kuhnel's strong Triple-A performance will translate into success at the big league level, as they continue their push for a postseason spot.