Surging Padres reliever stuck at Triple-A is being disrespected by front office

The San Diego Padres are going through some major issues in their bullpen. Once hailed as the best relief staff in all of baseball, the Friars bullpen has fallen all the way to 10th in ERA among all MLB teams.

Alek Jacob, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, and Sean Reynolds have all seen their fair share of struggles on the mound, which should force the front office staff to consider trading for a pitcher, or calling one up from the minor leagues. In what feels like an obvious choice, the Padres have not called up Reiss Knehr, which feels a bit odd.

Padres should offer Reiss Knehr second chance in Major League Baseball

Knehr, a 28-year-old right-hander, has not pitched in Major League Baseball since 2023. He hardly had a cup of coffee, totaling 48 1/3 frames spanning three separate seasons. While his career MLB numbers are not sparkling, there must be a change in the bullpen, and justifiably, Knehr deserves another shot at pitching for the Padres.

With Triple-A El Paso this season, Knehr has fired 24 strikeouts in 16 2/3 frames as the Chihuahuas' closer. He has produced eight saves in nine tries, adding one hold. Knehr's ERA is 2.70, his WHIP is 0.96, and his batting average against is .158. In 18 total appearances, he recorded a shutout performance 15 times.

It's time to call him up. Knehr seems like the most viable option out of the minor leagues to try and stop the bleeding in their bullpen. Knehr was drafted by the Padres in 2018 out of Fordham, and they have hung onto him for seven years. If he somehow doesn't pitch well in the big leagues, it cannot be much worse than the product that the current relievers have given.

It could be a feel-good story for Knehr, but more importantly, it could help the Padres get back on track in 2025.