San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker (back) was unavailable to take the mound during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Instead, Camilo Doval was called upon to hold a three-run lead in the ninth inning. Doval did a nice job as he tossed a scoreless inning and recorded one strikeout for his first save of the season. Manager Bob Melvin said Walker is dealing with back tightness, but it's believed to be a minor issue. The expectation is that Walker will be ready to go within the next few days. Fantasy managers should monitor this situation. Doval would be worth adding if Walker does end up missing some time.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday that right-handed reliever Ryan Walker will open the season as the team's closer. Walker took over as the Giants' closer in the second half last year and never looked back after Camilo Doval was removed from the ninth-inning role. All in all, the 29-year-old was excellent with a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 99 strikeouts, 18 walks, 10 wins, 10 saves and 21 holds in 80 innings pitched for San Fran. Walker's 26.9 K-BB percentage ranked 10th in the league as well. The former 31st-round pick has been rewarded for his breakout 2024 campaign and should now be considered a top-10 fantasy closer now that he's officially been named the team's primary closer entering the 2025 season. Walker's biggest threat to closing duties if he struggles will probably be Doval if he's able to bounce back.
San Francisco Giants closer Ryan Walker continued his excellent season in Monday's 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks, picking up his 10th save. Walker came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by three and turned in a 1-2-3 performance with no strikeouts. The 28-year-old has had an outstanding season, compiling a 9-4 record while converting 10 of 14 save opportunities with 21 holds to go with a 1.94 ERA, an 11.28 K/9 rate, and a 1.94 BB/9 rate in 79 innings of work. He has served as a reliable fantasy closer since taking over the closer's role from Camilo Doval, who pitched the eighth inning in this game. Fantasy managers will need to see how spring plays out prior to the 2025 season, but Walker could be a fantasy target in all leagues if named the team's closer and will be a target at least in saves-plus-holds leagues.
San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Ryan Walker earned his first save of the season on Saturday afternoon. Walker allowed two baserunners, one via walk and the other via a single. He tallied two punchouts and did not surrender a run. Walker was recently named San Francisco's closer as Camilo Doval was optioned to Triple-A. Walker operated as a high-leverage option and held a stellar 2.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a 14:73 BB:K ratio. Under the hood, Walker sports an excellent 30.5% K rate, 31.2% hard-hit rate, and a 29.9% whiff rate. Walker should be added in all formats, as he should be in line to see all save opportunities in the Bay going forward while also providing elite ratios.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said that right-handed reliever Ryan Walker will serve as the team's closer after the club decided to option former closer Camilo Doval to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday. The Giants were ready to make a change at the back end of their bullpen after Doval blew his fifth save of the season on Thursday night against the Washington Nationals. Walker is deserving of the closer's gig this year after going 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 71 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 60 1/3 innings pitched over a league-high 59 appearances (one start). Melvin mentioned Jordan Hicks, who was recently moved to the bullpen after beginning the year as a starter, as another possibility for saves, but Walker is going to get the first crack to replace Doval and should be added immediately by fantasy managers in need of saves.
San Francisco Giants rookie right-hander Ryan Walker will serve as the team's opener for their game at Wrigley Field on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. This will be the 12th "start" for Walker as an opener this year, but he's unlikely to go more than three innings, so fantasy managers looking for a streamer should avoid him in a tough matchup on the road. Either left-hander Sean Manaea or right-hander Jakob Junis will work as the bulk reliever in this one. The 27-year-old Walker has gone 4-2 this year with a strong 2.16 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.24 WHIP, one save, 15 walks and 61 strikeouts in 50 innings over 38 appearances (11 starts). In 17 2/3 frames as a opener this year, Walker has allowed six runs (five earned) while walking 10 and striking out 28.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Walker will start on Wednesday, facing Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Over 16.1 innings, the 27-year-old owns a 1.65 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 15 punchouts. Walker has not pitched more than three innings in any outing this season, so fantasy managers should expect a short start with the bullpen doing most of the work. The Giants rotation is short-handed right now with Alex Cobb (oblique) and Ross Stripling (back) on the injured list, so expect to see these bullpen days on a more regular basis.
Ryan Walker
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Giants
