Giants option 2023 All-Star closer Doval to minor leagues

The San Francisco Giants optioned struggling closer Camilo Doval to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday.

"When you're a guy like him, you don't expect to hear that, so he's processing it right now and hopefully he takes it the right way and gets back here and does the role that he's done in the past very successfully," Giants manager Bob Melvin said, according to the Associated Press.

The 26-year-old owns a 4.70 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 46 games with the Giants this season. He's struggled mightily of late, having posted an 8.59 ERA and 7.4 BB/9 over his last eight appearances.

Doval was named an All-Star last campaign, during which he led the National League with 39 saves.

"Could we have put him in a lesser role? I don't know that it would help. I think that some of the issues that he needs to work on would be easier to do somewhere else than the big leagues," Melvin said. "He’s an All-Star. We expect him to come back and be an All-Star."

San Francisco recalled right-hander Landen Roupp and reinstated catcher Curt Casali from the paternity list in the corresponding roster shuffle.

The Giants entered Friday three games back of the final NL wild-card spot.