After James Karinchak got out of an eighth inning jam, the real fun began. Aug 10, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher James Karinchak (99) reacts after striking out Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter (not pictured) to get out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
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James Karinchak was a vital part of the Cleveland Guardians bullpen in 2022. He emerged as one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, as his 2.08 ERA was the ninth lowest among American League relievers and he helped the Guardians win the AL Central.

But, that was last season. The 2o23 campaign hasn’t been nearly as successful for Karinchak, who will have to figure out his control issues in the minor leagues. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reported on Saturday that the Guardians were demoting Karinchak to Triple-A Columbus and calling up reliever Tim Herrin.

It’s a bit of a curious move considering Karnichak, who has struggled this season, gave up his first run since May 27 on Friday. Karinchak had lowered his ERA from 5.03 to 3.90 and given up just one run on two hits over his last 10 appearances. That one run came in Friday’s 10-9 extra-innings win over the Houston Astros.

Unfortunately, Karinchak being demoted is a consequence of Friday night’s game going 14 innings, but he’s also having his worst season to date. Perhaps a demotion before he seemingly reversed his struggles would’ve made more sense, but it’s clear the Guardians don’t feel he’s been able to replicate that same success he had last season yet.

Again, control has been an issue for Karinchak, who has a career-high 6.2 walks per nine innings and 1.229 WHIP. Another troubling statistic is Karnichak’s FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) which is similar to ERA but focuses solely on the events a pitcher has the most control over. A 4.00 FIP would be closer to the average and anything that approaches 5.00 is considered below the league average. Karnichak’s FIP is at 5.63, the highest of his career.

Many MLB fans wondered about the Guardians’ decision to demote Karinchak, although some cheered the news.

[Zack Meisel on Twitter]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann