Background
Knebel was born in Denton, Texas to parents Jeffrey and Melissa Knebel and grew up in Bastrop County, Texas.
Knebel was born in Denton, Texas to parents Jeffrey and Melissa Knebel and grew up in Bastrop County, Texas.
He previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers. Early He is a graduate of Georgetown High School, where he moved for his senior season. Knebel enrolled at the University of Texas in 2011, and played college baseball for the Texas Longhorns baseball team
He became the Longhorn"s closer as a freshman and tied J. Brent Cox and Charlie Thames" school records for saves in a single season with 19.
He was named the NCBWA Stopper of the Year and the Freshman of the Year by the NBCWA and Collegiate Baseball Magazine. Knebel earned First Team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors.
Knebel was again the Longhorn closer in 2012, finishing the year with nine saves and a 2.08 earned run average. Though unable to match the accolades of his freshman season, he again earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Knebel was suspended from the Longhorns twice in 2013, once for violating team rules and once for providing a urine sample to help a teammate beat a drug test.
Detroit Tigers
On June 6, 2013, Knebel was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as the 39th pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. This supplemental pick was the first traded draft slot in Major League history. The pick was included in a 2012 trade between the Tigers and the Miami Marlins, which included Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, and Jacob Turner.
Knebel played for the Class-A West Michigan Whitecaps, the Double-A Erie SeaWolves and the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens before being called up by the Tigers.
He made his major league debut on May 24, 2014 against the Texas Rangers. Texas Rangers
On July 23, 2014, the Tigers traded Knebel and Jake Thompson to the Texas Rangers, in exchange for reliever Joakim Soria.
After the trade, Knebel was assigned to play for the Rangers" Triple-A team, the Round Rock Express. Knebel sprained the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow in his throwing arm in August, ending his season.
Milwaukee Brewers
On January 19, 2015, the Rangers traded Knebel, Luis SardiƱas, and Marcos Diplan to the Milwaukee Brewers for Yovani Gallardo.