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. 

Walker was informed after Saturday’s game 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. The Giants also optioned right-hander Gregory Santos and added relievers Sam Hentges and Dylan Smith.

Walker entered the 2026 MLB season as the main option 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. 

Giants manager Tony Vitello has never named a closer, in part because Walker 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. 

Hentges was signed in the offseason 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. 

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. 

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