As Karinchak trotted out from the visiting bullpen dugout at Rate Field in Chicago on Wednesday night, it marked a major moment for himself. He was back on a major league mound for the first time in 984 days.
He stepped off the mound representing the Cleveland Guardians on Sept. 30, 2023, and he had been looking to get back ever since.
"I love those stories," manager Walt Weiss said. "You know, the guys that persevere and have to fight through adversity, and that's most guys in this league, but especially a story like that where he had really big time success when he first got to the big leagues. And, you know, injuries and then the rest of it, and he's had a hard time, you know, the last few years, but he's fought his way back."
Coming into the Atlanta Braves organization via a minor league contract, it had the chance to be a steal of a deal if he could reemerge. After clocking 25 2/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett this season, the day arrived.
"It's awesome," Chris Sale said after the game. "When he got called up, I be-lined it straight to him."
He retired the first two batters he faced on soft flyouts to centerfield. He sat down Derek Hill swinging to pick up an inning-ending strikeout. His fastball sat at 95 mph. Suffice to say, he took full advantage of the moment.
"We've been expecting him to get the call eventually," Sale said. "That's a cool thing for him, and we're obviously happy to have him."
The Braves ultimately fell to the White Sox in the game, 2-1. They dropped a series, but there was still a moment to be remembers, at least for Karinchak, and those keeping an eye on his story.
Karinchak was called up to aid the bullpen as part of the latest shuffle. He got a spot on the 40-man roster after Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment.
The right-hander brings a two-pitch arsenal: a four-seam fastball and a curveball. Those two pitches alone have been the tools for success in his career before. They get to still be the keys to what's next for him.
"He's a great competitor. I love the mentality that he has," Weiss said. "It was good to see him out there and good to see him pitch well, and it's a good story."
Karinchak has a chance now to make an impact for the foreseeable stretch. He got the chance; He passed a major step. Now, the task is to keep it up.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/braves/onsi as Braves Reliever James Karinchak Makes Most of Return to Majors .
