Giddy with excitement, Doval gets the call

When Camilo Doval was told that he was being called up, he succumbed to the impending wave of emotions.

“He said that he couldn’t handle himself,” said interpreter Erwin Higueros. “He was laughing of joy by himself from getting the news.”

The Giants promoted Doval to the big league roster after placing right-hander Johnny Cueto on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 1 lat strain. Should the right situation arise, Doval will soon have the opportunity make his Major League debut.

“We feel like he’s ready for this opportunity,” said manager Gabe Kapler.

Upon earning the promotion, Doval rushed to call his mother, who exhibited the same level of joy. When recounting the conversation, Doval couldn't hide his smile behind his black mask, which featured the number 75, the digits he will don for San Francisco.

Doval's mother and entire family will be all the happier when he makes his first appearance on a big league mound, which could come as early as Friday evening given the state of San Francisco’s bullpen.

Tyler Rogers, the Giants’ most reliable right-handed option in the bullpen, has been heavily worked as of late, having pitched in four of the team’s past five games. Matt Wisler, San Francisco’s other right-handed option, has been inconsistent to begin the season, allowing six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings.

"We’re going to look for the right spot for him,” Kapler said. “We feel like he’s capable of handling this elevated level of intensity and competition level. At the same time, we have to remember this is his Major League debut.”

Doval, the Giants’ No. 24 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will be making quite the jump, having not pitched higher than High-A San Jose. While the 23-year-old doesn’t have much experience against top competition, he has two effective weapons capable of retiring Major League hitting.

Since Doval signed with the Giants out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, he has added about 10 mph to his fastball, which now sits in the mid-to-high 90s and can touch 100 mph. On the 20-80 scale, MLB Pipeline rates Doval's fastball as 75-grade, making it the best heater in the Giants’ system. Doval also features a hard slider in the high-80s, which he tunnels well with his fastball.

That two-pitch combination has propelled him at every level of the Minors. Across 163 1/3 career Minor League innings, Doval has totaled 233 strikeouts with a 3.31 ERA. In Spring Training, Doval allowed just one run in five innings of work with seven strikeouts and one walk against upper-level hitters.

Doval’s call-up comes early, but he was on a trajectory to appear with the Giants at some point this season. In November, the Giants added him to the 40-man roster, and last season, he was part of the team’s taxi squad.

Kapler offered praise of Doval’s lively arm, but noted that the rookie will continue working on the nuances of pitching, such as being quick to the plate, fielding his position and managing emotions, among other things.

“We’re going to be looking for consistency with his times to the plate,” Kapler said. “When he’s at his best, he’s pushing off the rubber hard and exploding to the plate, and that’s happening pretty quickly.”

Webb's quick return to the rotation
With Cueto on the injured list and expected to miss two starts, per Kapler, right-hander Logan Webb will re-assume a spot in the starting rotation.

The Giants planned to move Webb to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for lefty Alex Wood, who is expected to start on Sunday against the Marlins, but that plan appears to have been momentarily set aside.

Webb was fantastic in Spring Training, but has been knocked around in his first two starts against the Mariners and Rockies, allowing six earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. On a more encouraging note, the right-hander looked good out of the bullpen against the Reds, needing just 11 pitches to throw a scoreless frame.

Cueto’s absence will be a blow to San Francisco’s rotation, which has been one of the league’s best to begin the season. The veteran has looked like his prime self in his first three starts, owning a 1.80 ERA with 18 strikeouts and just four walks.