Giants continue roster shakeups, option Walker to Triple-A

SAN FRANCISCO -- One day after trading two-time Gold Glove winner Patrick Bailey to the Guardians, the Giants made another surprise move with a staple of their roster.

The Giants optioned erstwhile closer Ryan Walker to Triple-A Sacramento alongside fellow right-hander Gregory Santos, the latest shakeup for a team that continues to search for answers following a 15-24 start to the year.

Veteran southpaw Sam Hentges was activated off the 15-day injured list after completing his long rehab from left shoulder surgery, and right-hander Dylan Smith was called up from Sacramento in a pair of corresponding moves.

Walker had been a mainstay in the Giants’ bullpen since making his Major League debut in 2023. He was viewed as the front-runner to regain the closer role this season, but he struggled to bounce back from his down year in ‘25, logging a 6.46 ERA with three blown saves over his first 16 appearances for San Francisco.

Manager Tony Vitello said the Giants want Walker to work on a few adjustments in the Minors, but he also hopes the demotion will give the 30-year-old a chance to mentally reset and find his confidence on his mound.

“Skill-wise, I do think our pitching coaches identified some things physically that he's strayed from when he's been at his best, whether it's posture or how he's throwing a couple particular pitches,” Vitello said Sunday, ahead of the Giants’ series finale vs. the Pirates. “But I think he would agree, too. I don't think I'm speaking out of turn. I think it all starts with the mind and what kind of information you're feeding it.

“When things don't go well, that's a more attractive topic for everybody to sound off on, and it'd be louder noise. He mentioned the word noise to me one time. I don't think there needs to be any noise. I just think it needs to be the message you want to send yourself every day. He realizes that, and that's something he's worked hard at. I think that's the biggest thing. That, to me, is more of a compliment than anything. To me, he's the same guy that all of his teammates said, ‘If he's in the right situation, he's one of the filthiest pitchers we have.’ He's clearly had a track record of success.”

The Giants’ bullpen exceeded expectations over the first month of the regular season, but the unit has stumbled as of late, recording a 6.14 ERA with an .898 opposing OPS in 11 games since April 28. San Francisco’s relievers gave up 12 runs over five innings in the club’s 13-3 drubbing against the Pirates on Saturday, prompting the club to bring up two fresh arms in Hentges and Smith.

Hentges, 29, joined the Giants on a one-year, $1.4 million deal over the offseason, but he opened the season on the IL as he continued to work his way back from his September 2024 left shoulder surgery. He posted a 2.16 ERA with eight strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings in his nine rehab appearances with Sacramento, paving the way for him to return to the Majors for the first time since July 10, 2024.

“I'm very grateful for the opportunity,” said Hentges, who pitched to a 4.18 ERA over his first four seasons with the Guardians from 2021-24. “It's been a long time. There's been a lot of work. A lot of good days, a lot of bad days, but I’m just excited to be back and excited to get out there. Obviously, the nerves and the juices will be [flowing] for me, which I'm looking forward to feeling again.”

Hentges’ velocity is still a little down compared to where it was before the surgery, but he checked all the key boxes during his 30-day rehab window, including pitching on back-to-back days and throwing multiple innings.

“It's still a little bit behind,” Hentges said of his stuff. “I kind of have what I have right now. I know that was kind of one of the bigger mysteries of the shoulder surgery. ‘Will the stuff come back, and how quickly will it come back?’ But the stuff I have right now is what I’ve got. I got to go out there and compete.”

The Giants will also get their first look at Smith, whom they acquired from the Tigers in exchange for cash considerations on March 30. Smith, 25, was a third-round Draft pick out of Alabama in 2021 and posted a 2.13 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 12 2/3 innings in his first nine appearances for Sacramento this year. He debuted with Detroit last year and logged a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings in his first seven Major League outings.

“It’s an opportunity to kind of prove myself and go out there and just help win games,” Smith said. “I’m just going to attack the hitters with my best stuff and go after them. Strike one, strike two. I’m very quick tempo. I try to get in a rhythm and go.”