SF Giants update: Doval’s success lands him in select company, and what’s the plan for Bart?
MLB: San Francisco Giants closer Camilo Doval named National League’s Reliever of the Month for May
SAN FRANCISCO – After enjoying a four-plus week stretch that ranked among the best for any closer in Giants history, Camilo Doval on Friday was named the National League’s Reliever of the Month for May.
Doval, 25, appeared in 14 games for San Francisco from May 2-31 and had a 1.32 ERA in 13.2 innings. He had a Major League-best 11 saves in May, tied for the third-most by a Giants pitcher in a single month, trailing only Robb Nen, who had a franchise-best 14 saves in July 2000 and 13 saves in June 2001.
Brian Wilson had 11 saves for the Giants in September/October 2010.
Doval is one of two Giants relievers to win the award since its inception in 2005, joining Jake McGee (July 2021).
Doval, who was also named the NL’s best reliever in Sept. 2021, had five saves in the first eight games of May. He then had three straight saves against Philadelphia from May 15-17, followed by single saves against Miami, Minnesota and Milwaukee from May 21-27.
The Giants are 19-6 in games in which Doval has appeared.
“He killed it in May and he continues to improve as a reliever for us,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said of Dival. “There are a few things he continues to work on, but for the most part, he’s throwing a ton of strikes, getting swings and misses and he’s been very durable for us.
“Every day we ask the question, is he available for four outs, because if one of our other relievers is kind of on the ropes, it’s not bad to be able to send Camilo into a game to put out a fire.”
For the season, Doval had 14 saves with a 1-2 record, a 2.19 ERA and a 1.054 WHiP in 24.2 innings. Doval was 6-6 with a 2.53 ERA in 67.2 innings last season.
“I haven’t done anything different,” Doval said. “What I do is I what I’ve done before — just execute my pitches, feel comfortable. I have not changed anything.”
CONFORTO UPDATE: Giants outfielder Michael Conforto was held out of Friday’s starting lineup but continued to improve after he came down with a bruised left heel Tuesday against Pittsburgh. Friday, with the heel taped up, Conforto took some swings without any issue and threw some as the Giants were seeing if he would be available to play in the series opener against Baltimore.
Conforto injured the heel when he landed awkwardly stretching for first base in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game at Oracle Park. X-rays and an MRI on Wednesday revealed no structural damage to the heel.
“There’s really nothing that comes into play when I’m swinging,” Conforto said. “It’s just going to be running and slowing down and jamming on the brakes a little bit. That’s going to be probably the hardest thing to get back.”
Conforto entered Friday hitting .250 with a .811 OPS with 28 RBI and a team-high 11 home runs. For the start of Friday’s game, Mike Yastrzemski was in right field, Mitch Haniger was in left and Brett Wisely was in center.
BART UPDATE: Catcher Joey Bart, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 19 with a left groin strain, started a rehab assignment Friday in Triple-A Sacramento. Bart has played in just 26 of the Giants’ 57 games so far and is hitting .231 with a .581 OPS in 78 at-bats.
Patrick Bailey has received most of the work at catcher with Bart unavailable and started his 12th MLB game Friday since he was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on May 19. He entered Friday with a .333 batting average and a .914 OPS, with two homers and 12 RBI in just 39 at-bats. The Giants are 7-3 when Bailey starts.
Asked if Bailey’s sizzling start allows the Giants to take their time with Bart, Kapler said, “I don’t really see it as anything other than making sure Joey is fully healthy and ready to do good work at the major league level and then making a decision at that point. I don’t know how long that’s going to take but we, first and foremost, just need Joey to be fully healthy and prepared to help our team win.”
NOTABLE: Joc Pederson, out for the last three weeks with a right-hand contusion, went through a full hitting routine Friday and will start a rehab assignment with Single-A San Jose on Saturday as a designated hitter. Pederson took a pitch off his right hand on a bunt attempt on Mat 12 against Arizona. … Infielder Thairo Estrada, out with a sprained left wrist, started a hitting progression Friday and will continue that through the weekend. He is also taking ground balls and running. … Pitcher Ross Stripling was slated to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session Friday as he makes his way back from a lower back strain.