James Karinchak: Everything you need to know

Atlanta reassigned Karinchak to minor-league camp Wednesday. Karinchak did all he could to earn a spot as a non-roster invitee, striking out nine while yielding just one hit and two walks over four scoreless frames, but it wasn't enough. The 30-year-old hasn't seen action at the big-league level since 2023, but he could get a chance with Atlanta this season if he gets off to a good start at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Karinchak signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Karinchak will receive a new opportunity with Atlanta after failing to make his way to the big leagues while with the White Sox during the 2025 campaign. His last major-league action dates back to the 2023 campaign while with Cleveland, posting a 3.23 ERA with a 52:28 K:BB across 39.0 innings. Karinchak will presumably begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett and serve as organizational depth.

The White Sox released Karinchak on Sunday. Though Karinchak owns a career 3.31 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 174 career appearances in the big leagues, he hasn't surfaced in the majors since 2023 while struggling to return to form following a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of 2024. Karinchak has been able to stay healthy this season after failing to win a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day roster, but a bloated 16.5 percent walk rate over 29.1 innings at Charlotte took much of the shine away from his 2.45 ERA. Since a promotion to the big leagues wasn't imminent, the White Sox elected to cut Karinchak loose and allow him to pursue work elsewhere.