With an open roster spot for at least a few days, the Giants will take a first look at one of their most exciting relief prospects.
Right-hander Camilo Doval was called up Friday morning to replace Johnny Cueto, who has a lat strain, on the active roster. The Giants will activate Alex Wood to join the rotation Sunday, but they had an extra spot for a couple of games against the Miami Marlins and Doval will get a chance to make his MLB debut and light up the radar gun in a big league park.
Doval, a tall and lanky 23-year-old was put on the 40-man roster in the offseason so the Giants wouldn't lose him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he will appear on a big league roster without ever even pitching in Double-A or Triple-A. The Giants were impressed by his work in the instructional league and he had a solid spring before being sent to their alternate site in Sacramento earlier this month.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
RELATED: Posey's pregame routine could be reason for hot start
Doval has a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and regularly hits triple-digits, and he complements it with a developing slider. During the spring, manager Gabe Kapler often mentioned Doval as a standout in the bullpens and complimented his "loose and whippy" delivery.
"The biggest key is being in the zone," Kapler said. "He's not the type of pitcher, given his stuff, that has to live on the corners or the top or the bottom rail. He just has to be in the zone and put hitters on the defensive."
The Giants will move Logan Webb back into the rotation next week to take Cueto's spot, leaving the bullpen with just two right-handers. Doval will get at least a couple of days to prove that he should stick around as the third one.
