SAN FRANCISCO – The demotion of 2023 All-Star closer Camilo Doval is all because of two reasons, Giants manager Bob Melvin says: Command and being quicker to the plate.
“The strike throwing is an issue right now, so is time to the plate,” Melvin said Friday in the Oracle Park dugout a half hour after Doval was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. “He can be better than he is right now, and I think he’ll be better served to be able to work on it where it’s not at the big league level in a different role.”
The news comes one day after Doval blew a chance at a save on the road against the Washington Nationals, walking two and allowing a game-tying three-run homer to Luis Garcia Jr. San Francisco rallied to score four runs in the top of the 10th inning for a 9-5 win, but Doval’s issues continued a troubling trend for someone whose 39 saves led all of the major leagues a season ago.
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Melvin could have opted to keep Doval in the majors and used him in lower-leverage situations such as the fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth inning. That never was an option. The Giants view Doval as a closer exclusively and felt fine-tuning in the minor leagues was the best avenue for all parties.
Once Doval does return, the belief is he’ll be back doing his usual duties as closer and resembled the dominant flame-thrower the Giants continually relied on last season.
“He’s an All-Star,” Melvin emphasized. “We expect him to come back and be an All-Star.”
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Doval’s drop-off certainly is a drastic one. As he walked out of the Giants’ clubhouse in street clothes, Doval, who turned 27 years old last month, is headed to the minor for the first time since he was called up at the end of the 2021 season.
Melvin admitted Doval was sad when the manager delivered the tough news, noting that it will take a while to process. As for who takes Doval’s place as the Giants’ closer in the interim, Melvin wouldn’t name one specific pitcher ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers.
At the time of his pregame media availability, Melvin had yet to speak to a replacement. However, Melvin does not want the Giants to have a closer by committee situation, instead looking for one reliever to slam the door shut while Doval is wearing a River Cats jersey.
In his first All-Star campaign last year, Doval went 6-6 with a 2.93 ERA over 69 games and his 60 games finished also led the league. From the start of the season to past the All-Star break, Doval hasn’t been the same pitcher one year later. His ERA currently is at 4.70, and despite his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings being nearly identical to his 11.6 mark last year, Doval’s control trouble is clear. He walked 3.5 batters per nine innings in his All-Star campaign, and that number has rocketed to 5.9 this season.
Doval has appeared in 23 fewer games than last season, yet already has allowed one more earned run and walked three more total batters. And in regards to his timing to the plate, eight runners have successfully stolen a base with Doval on the mound and not a single one has been thrown out.
If all goes to plan, though, Melvin expects Doval’s stint in Sacramento to be temporary as opposed to long term while the Giants continue battling in the NL wild-card standings.
“I hope it’s 15 days, or whatever it is when you go down,” Melvin said. “And I told him that.”
It’s up to Doval to prove to Melvin he belongs as the Giants’ closer down the stretch, as well as somebody else to step up in his absence.