James Karinchak

James Karinchak threw a scoreless ninth inning to save a 5-3 win over the Angels on Wednesday. He struck out one and allowed one hit in the frame.

Fantasy Impact

Karinchak has been seeing the occasional save opportunity of late with Cleveland looking to get Emmanuel Clase some days off. Karinchak now has a 1-0 record, 1.47 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, three saves, and 49 strikeouts over 30 2/3 innings of work on the year.

James Karinchak threw a scoreless ninth inning to earn a save in a 4-1 win over the Twins on Sunday. Karinchak walked two and struck out three in the frame.

Fantasy Impact

Karinchak made things interesting by walking the leadoff batter and later issuing another free pass, but he struck out the side to prevent any damage. The veteran reliever got the save chance with regular closer Emmanuel Clase unavailable after pitching in three of the previous four days. Karinchak now has a 1-0 record, 1.57 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, two saves, and 47 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings of work in 2022.

James Karinchak threw a scoreless ninth inning to save a 4-1 win over the Royals on Tuesday. Karinchak struck out two and did not allow a base runner.

Fantasy Impact

Karinchak got the save chance with regular closer Emmanuel Clase getting the night off. Karinchak notched an impressive five swinging strikes on just 12 pitches in the frame. The set-up man now has a 1-0 record, 1.04 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, one save, four holds, and 43 strikeouts in 26 innings of work. He's worth a roster spot in leagues that have saves+holds as a stat category.

The Cleveland Guardians activated James Karinchak from the 60-day injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A.

Fantasy Impact

Karinchak will return from his right shoulder strain, but it appears he will still need some time in the minor leagues before being called back up. He will likely be in the Guardians bullpen later in the season.

The Cleveland Guardians announced today that RHP James Karinchak was sent for an MRI due to soreness in his right arm. It revealed a strain in his teres major muscle and he'll be shut down for 7-10 days.

Fantasy Impact

This is tough news for Karinchak who is looking to bounce back from a rough 2021. He was optioned to AAA in late August after really struggling, potentially due to the mid-season change of the ball seams. He had a 4.07 ERA with a 12.69 K/9 in 2021, but even if he bounces back, Emmanuel Clase is likely to get most of the save opportunities for the Guardians.