James Karinchak Stats
- Height / Weight
- 6' 3" / 215 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 9/22/1995 (28)
- Experience
- 4
- College
- Bryant
James Karinchak Season Stats
Last 10 Games
James Karinchak News
The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up relief pitcher James Karinchak from Triple-A Columbus on Friday and place pitcher Michael Kelly (back) on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. Karinchak was sent to the minors in June after posting a 3.90 ERA (5.61 FIP), 1.23 WHIP, 19 walks and 38 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings with the Guardians. He has been worse at Columbus, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 13 hits while walking 11 and striking out 34 in 19 1/3 frames while also recording four saves. The 27-year-old hard-throwing right-hander might be useful for strikeouts and the occasional hold now that he's returning to the big leagues in much deeper fantasy leagues.
Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher James Karinchak has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday. This is a bit of a surprise considering Karinchak has been pitching fairly well this season. He's posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 38/19 K/BB ratio across 32 appearances. The expectation is that the 27-year-old will be back on roster in a few weeks. In a corresponding move, lefty Tim Herrin has been recalled to take his spot on the active roster.
The Cleveland Guardians and reliever James Karinchak avoided salary arbitration after inking a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Known to have one of the most sophisticated routines in the game, Karinchak has established himself as one of the most dependable Cleveland arms. He dealt with a shoulder strain this past season which sidelined him for a considerable amount of time, but he still managed to make an impact. Through 38 appearances, Karinchak molded a 2.08 ERA with 62 strikeouts and a 38.8% strikeout rate. He continues to work his way up in the Guardians clubhouse and is vying to increase his workload this coming season. If he can stay healthy, Karinchak is expected to be in a high-leverage role for the Guardians and could see a few save chances behind star closer Emmanuel Clase.
Batting Order
| 1 | Steven Kwan |
| 2 | José Ramírez |
| 3 | Josh Naylor |
| 4 | Kole Calhoun |
| 5 | Ramón Laureano |
| 6 | Andrés Giménez |
| 7 | Will Brennan |
| 8 | David Fry |
| 9 | Jose Tena |
James Karinchak Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Steven Kwan |
| 2 | José Ramírez |
| 3 | Josh Naylor |
| 4 | Kole Calhoun |
| 5 | Ramón Laureano |
| 6 | Andrés Giménez |
| 7 | Will Brennan |
| 8 | David Fry |
| 9 | Jose Tena |
James Karinchak is looking to have a bounce-back season after a 2021 campaign that saw him lose the closer role to Emmanuel Clase. Unfortunately, a shoulder strain has put those plans on ice with Karinchak currently shut down from throwing. He is expected to begin throwing again soon so barring any setbacks, should return to the mound for the Guardians in late April. And he should find himself back in the mix for late innings works as a setup man for Clase. Last year, Karinchak started the season with 13 scoreless outings (11.2 IP) and looked every bit the 2020 breakout star closer he was drafted as in fantasy. Even at the end of May, Karinchak had a 2.28 ERA and 43 Ks in 23.2 IP, but only six saves. His last save of the season came on July 21st and following that date, Karinchak posted a 9.00 ERA over 13.0 IP which included three blown saves and eventually saw him demoted to Triple-A to work on his ability to throw strikes. His K% also dropped from 39.5% to 15.9% after June 21st and his command was a problem. Karinchak finished the season with a 13.6% BB% (fourth percentile) despite only allowing two walks in April. Clase looks locked in as the Guardians closer so without an injury or significant drop-off in performances, Karinchak likely won't see many save opportunities. He should still factor in for holds and is the most likely handcuff for saves, but he'll need to dramatically lower his 13.4% BB% as a Major League pitcher if he's to have success in the role.
