The Atlanta Braves selected right-hander James Karinchak to the major-league roster on June 10, 2026, promoting him from Triple-A Gwinnett as Tyler Kinley was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment; JR Ritchie was recalled from Gwinnett to replace Kinley.
Karinchak’s contract was selected after a strong run at Gwinnett, where he worked 25 2/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA, five saves in 21 games and a 38 percent strikeout rate while walking 10 percent of batters he faced. The right-hander signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta in December 2025 and has averaged a 93.8 mph fastball this season.
The move clears an active roster spot by DFA-ing Carrasco, who at 39 cannot be optioned and has been through that roster churn before — the Braves have designated him for assignment five times dating to last August while repeatedly re-signing him after he cleared waivers. Carrasco allowed three runs on 10 hits and one walk with four strikeouts in nine major-league innings for Atlanta in 2026 and posted a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings for Gwinnett this year.
Karinchak’s return to a major-league bullpen carries obvious caveats. He has not appeared in the majors since 2023, missed much of 2024 with a shoulder issue that limited him to 6 2/3 innings, and was released in June 2025 after a short stint in the White Sox organization where his heater sat about 92.7 mph. Still, the Triple-A results — the sub-2.50 ERA, high strikeout rate and the uptick in velocity to 93.8 mph — offered the Braves enough confidence to add him to the roster now.
The roster shuffle also reflects short-term bullpen management. Kinley’s placement on the 15-day injured list was backdated to June 8, 2026, and Ritchie’s recall gives Atlanta another option out of the pen; Ritchie, however, had not thrown a scoreless outing in three games with the Stripers after being sent back down. That unevenness underlines why the club opted for Karinchak’s strikeout profile and recent success in Triple-A.
The immediate uncertainty is how long Karinchak will remain on the 26-man roster. Carrasco’s designation almost certainly sends him through waivers — a process Atlanta has used repeatedly with him — and the club has a history of re-signing him after he clears. How long Karinchak stays will hinge on Kinley’s recovery timeline and whether Carrasco returns to the organization, putting a premium on Karinchak translating his Triple-A swing-and-miss numbers and modest walk rate into reliable major-league work.
