The IronPigs have been short on pitching for a while now after sending some of their staff to Philadelphia and seeing others wind up on the IL. They lost two key components of their staff in one day when both Joel Kuhnel and Nabil Crismatt exercised a contract clause that allowed them to opt out of their deals if they were not on the major league roster by July 1. Both players were granted their release and automatically become free agents able to sign with any other team.

Kuhnel made 26 relief appearances with Lehigh Valley this season and converted two of his three save opportunities this season. The 30-year-old is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA this season after signing a minor league deal with the Phillies last December.

The Reds drafted Kuhnel in the 11th round of the 2016 Draft out of the University of Texas at Arlington. The 31-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 2019. Over five seasons, Kuhnel has made 82 relief appearances in the majors with the Reds, Astros, and Rays, posting a 5.86 ERA and a 4-3 record.

Crismatt, 30, made his MLB debut with St. Louis in 2020 and has spent part of each season since then in the majors. His best seasons came with San Diego in 2021 and 2022 when he appeared in 95 games over the two seasons and went 8-3, 3.39. Since then, Crismatt has pitched in just 13 major league games, including five with the Dodgers in 2024, and has a record of 1-3 with a 6.30 ERA.

This season with Lehigh Valley, Crismatt was 4-5, 3.81 in 15 starts for the IronPigs covering 80.1 innings.

No roster replacements were immediately announced for the IronPigs.