Guardians reliever James Karinchak sparked a weird scene during a key divisional game against the Twins. Known for past use of banned sticky substances, Karinchak now often grabs the back of his hair for sweat before touching the rosin bag, a legal grip combo under MLB rules. But during this outing, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had enough and asked umpires to check him. What followed was awkward. Karinchak bowed his head and offered up his hair, and umpire Ted Barrett gently patted it like he was checking a pet. No illegal substances were found, and play continued.
Karinchak went right back to the same hair-rosin routine, seemingly unfazed. But moments later, Carlos Correa crushed a curveball for a two-run homer to bring the Twins within one. Emotions flared when Karinchak missed high and inside, close to the batter’s head. The timing made it feel like retaliation, though Karinchak shrugged it off as a slip. The inning unraveled further with another big hit, and it looked like the Twins had rattled him. Despite the drama, Karinchak escaped the jam without giving up the lead.
The incident raised questions about how pitchers now legally boost grip using sweat and rosin, especially with sticky stuff bans still fresh. Karinchak wasn’t doing anything illegal, but the routine looked suspicious enough to force a check. In the end, the inspection didn’t stop him, but it may have thrown off his rhythm—and gave the Twins a brief shot to rally.