3 players on the Reds minor league spring training roster who'll make some noise

2. Joel Kuhnel, Cincinnati Reds pitcher

When you talk about overcoming adversity, few players on the Cincinnati Reds minor league spring training roster stick out more than Joel Kuhnel. The right-hander underwent shoulder surgery in October of 2020 and spent all last season rehabbing in Arizona.

Kuhnel debuted for the Reds in 2019 and overwhelmed opposing batters at the plate. The flamethrower looked like a keeper Kuhnel dismissed batters left and right during his stint in the minors that season, posting a combined ERA of 2.19 at both Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville.

After losing Michael Lorenzen, and likely Mychal Givens, to free agency, as well as Tejay Antone to injury, the Cincinnati Reds bullpen is lacking late-inning stopper. Kuhnel could be that guy if he's able to return to form.

Kuhnel just turned 27 years old a few days ago, and if that fastball/ slider combination is as good in 2022 as it was in 2019, he'll be in the mix for a role in the Reds bullpen. In 2019, outside of a 14-0 blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which Kuhnel surrendered four earned runs, the right-hander allowed just one run in 9.1 innings of work.

Joel Kuhnel appeared in three games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, the right-hander was pushing through shoulder discomfort just to get on the field. Now fully healthy, Kuhnel has a great opportunity to land a spot in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen.