SAN FRANCISCO — After spending a month getting right with Triple-A Sacramento, right-hander Ryan Walker was recalled by the Giants on Friday morning to help a struggling bullpen.
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Fellow righty reliever Carson Seymour was optioned to Sacramento in a corresponding move after making two appearances with San Francisco.
Walker, 30, was one of the Giants’ few experienced leverage relievers entering the season, but he struggled early and was optioned to Sacramento in early May. Over 16 appearances, Walker had a 6.46 ERA with 14 strikeouts to 10 walks over 15 1/3 innings.
“I know he put in his work in the offseason, but your mind has a lot to do with everything,” manager Tony Vitello said when Walker was optioned. “I think the biggest thing is making sure, whether it’s him or our team, you’re feeding your narrative that you want to choose to feed yourself every day, which is really challenging, especially at this level. So, mentality, I think, is the key.”
Walker may have found something during his time with the River Cats, allowing only two runs over 9 1/3 innings (1.93 ERA) with seven strikeouts to three walks.
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He was optioned on May 10 but didn’t make his first Triple-A appearance until May 20, suggesting he took time to work through elements of his game before pitching for Sacramento.
Walker joins a bullpen in desperate need of late-game options. San Francisco’s bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball since May began, ranking 28th in the majors in ERA (5.35), 29th in FIP (4.88) and last in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.7%).
Right-handed reliever Jason Foley, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, was trending towards joining the Giants’ bullpen until he was pulled off his rehab assignment earlier this week due to right shoulder fatigue.
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