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SAN FRANCISCO — Patrick Bailey and Ryan Walker arrived on the same day in May of 2023, and while Bailey turned into a two-time Gold Glove winner, there were a lot of moments when Walker was just as important to the Giants’ fate. Three years later, they were taken off the roster on back-to-back days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walker was informed after Saturday’s game<\/a> that he was headed back to Triple-A for the first time since that call-up, a decision that came a night after Bailey was traded to the Cleveland Guardians<\/a>. The Giants also optioned right-hander Gregory Santos and added relievers Sam Hentges and Dylan Smith.<\/p>\n Walker entered the 2026 MLB season as the main option<\/a> in the ninth inning, but he has given up a run in four straight appearances, and two runs came across in three of those games. He has a 6.46 ERA and 4.96 FIP, and his strikeout rate is the lowest of his career.\u00a0<\/p>\n Giants manager Tony Vitello has never named a closer, in part because\u00a0Walker struggled in that role last year after dominating in 2023 and 2024. Walker had his best stretch in late April, closing out the Los Angeles Dodgers on back-to-back days, but he blew a save in Philadelphia on the next road trip and was passed by Caleb Kilian and Keaton Winn in the late innings. Kilian is the current top option in the ninth.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hentges was signed in the offseason<\/a> as part of an effort to fix the bullpen without spending much. The tall left-hander has dominated in the big leagues in the past but had a slow recovery from shoulder surgery. He made nine rehab appearances with Sacramento and had good numbers, although his ERA is down a couple of ticks from his previous big league stints. He had reached the end of his allotted time on a rehab assignment, though, and needed to be returned to the big league roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Giants acquired Smith in a small trade with the Detroit Tigers in April. He had a 2.13 ERA as a reliever in Sacramento with more than a strikeout per inning.\u00a0<\/p>\n Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n