Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
For now at least, the Giants are sticking with Camilo Doval.
When Gregory Santos struggled, the Giants optioned the young fireballer to develop more at the Triple-A level. With Doval, there will be a slight demotion — Gabe Kapler said not to expect him in a high-leverage spot soon — but there is more talk about talking him up than sending him down.
The manager said he would have a conversation with Doval on Sunday and try to pump up the 23-year-old, who had not pitched above High-A before he rose from alternate sites to the major leagues.
Kapler and Doval would watch some of his outings, and the manager would “remind him how good his stuff is. Remind him that he can continue to attack the strike zone. Remind him that he’s had some things not bounce his way, but he could very easily be in a better position,” Kapler said over Zoom before the Giants finished a series at PNC Park.
Kapler also mentioned more concrete solutions — addressing his deliveries, of which he has a few — to try to right an electric righty with an 8.38 ERA through his first 12 major league games.
Doval’s latest bit of struggles involved consistent wildness in Saturday’s seventh inning, when he allowed two inherited runners to score and two of his own, watching a 6-2 lead evaporate in a game the Giants would lose. He had as many wild pitches and walks — one apiece — as outs recorded (one). His 20 pitches included 15 sliders, and he has not shown much confidence in a fastball that touches 100 mph.
If the Giants had a rostered and reliable arm in Triple-A, perhaps the plan for Doval would be different. But the only relievers with Sacramento on the 40-man are Santos and Kervin Castro, a 22-year-old who has not debuted.
They have a wealth of non-rostered options, led by Dominic Leone, Nick Tropeano and Silvino Bracho, but calling one up would entail creating 40-man roster space and possibly losing a player such as Sam Selman, Matt Wisler, Chadwick Tromp, Steven Duggar or LaMonte Wade Jr.
Hours after sending down Wade, who was their best backup at first base, the Giants scratched Brandon Belt with the same side tightness that has hampered him for nearly two weeks.
Darin Ruf got a rare start at first and a rare start against a righty, Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller.
Along with the activated Alex Dickerson, Mike Yastrzemski returned to the lineup, but Kapler said there is still soreness after Yastrzemski crashed into the right-field wall Friday.
The full lineup:
1. Mike Tauchman, CF
2. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
3. Buster Posey, C
4. Alex Dickerson, LF
5. Evan Longoria, 3B
6. Brandon Crawford, SS
7. Darin Ruf, 1B
8. Mauricio Dubón, 2B
9. Alex Wood, P
After playing four defensive innings Saturday, Donovan Solano is expected to play seven innings with Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.
The probable pitching matchups for the Giants’ upcoming series in Cincinnati:
Monday: RHP Logan Webb (2-3, 4.74) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (0-2, 3.55)
Tuesday: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (3-1, 2.14) vs. RHP Luis Castillo (1-5, 7.71)
Wednesday: RHP Kevin Gausman (3-0, 1.84) vs. LHP Wade Miley (4-3, 3.69)
Thursday: RHP Johnny Cueto (2-1, 3.62) vs. RHP Tyler Mahle (2-1, 2.93)
