Doval returns to Giants, says San Francisco is where he belongs
The short version
- Camilo Doval rejoined the Giants after pitching for the Yankees and Pirates in 2025.
- He was an All-Star with 39 saves for San Francisco in 2023.
- Doval is arbitration-eligible; the Giants could retain him for roughly $7 million.
- Pitching coach Justin Meccage outlined a plan featuring more slider use against lefties.
- Manager Tony Vitello said Doval would pitch Saturday or Sunday against the Dodgers.
The former All-Star closer, dealt to the Yankees last year and then Pittsburgh, rejoined the organization that first gave him a big-league job.
Reliever Camilo Doval has rejoined the San Francisco Giants, the club with which he broke into the majors and made the 2023 All-Star team. Speaking through interpreter Erwin Higueros, he described the phone call from his agent telling him he was returning as the best news he had received.
Doval's departure came in a 2025 trade that sent him to the New York Yankees and brought four prospects to San Francisco, among them catcher-utility player Jesús Rodríguez. Last month the Yankees passed him along to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and now he has circled back to the Bay Area, where he pitched from 2021 through 2025.
His preference is to remain a Giant for the rest of his playing days. Doval said that if the decision were his, he would stay in San Francisco as long as he is in the big leagues, adding that he wants to return to the pitcher he was before and that the city is where he wants to be.
That earlier version of Doval recorded 39 saves during his 2023 All-Star season. His effectiveness dipped the following year, and Ryan Walker assumed closing duties in August of that season. In 2025, command problems led to a stint at Triple-A Sacramento before the trade that ended his first stint with the organization.
Contractually, Doval is arbitration-eligible, and the Giants hold the option of retaining him at approximately $7 million. Given the state of a bullpen that needs significant retooling, keeping him could make sense if he throws strikes and can retire left-handed hitters.
Pitching coach Justin Meccage said Friday that a specific approach exists for handling lefties, which involves modestly increasing how often Doval uses his slider. After watching the right-hander throw a light session Friday, Meccage described the arsenal as electric stuff.
Meccage and manager Tony Vitello had only observed Doval from a distance before his return. Vitello enjoyed a pregame conversation with the enthusiastic reliever, noting that Doval repeatedly referred to San Francisco as home and suggesting the time away helped him appreciate both the club and how much the organization had done for him.
One visible change: Doval will switch uniforms numbers, taking 57 instead of the 75 he previously wore, a move he attributed to good luck. Vitello indicated Doval would appear in a game against the Dodgers on either Saturday or Sunday. To open a roster spot, San Francisco optioned César Perdomo — Wednesday's starter who is finished for the season — to Triple-A Sacramento.
Fans can watch Doval's possible return appearance when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Sunday, September 27, at 3:05 PM EDT, with coverage on MLB.TV, NBC Sports BA, and SportsNet LA.
Games to watch
