The New York Yankees traded for Camilo Doval last season, and he has looked far from an All-Star with them.
Doval has a 4.73 ERA since joining the Yankees and has been unreliable in leverage situations. On Sunday, he allowed two runs, although neither was earned because of an error. In his last three games, 10 runs have been scored on him, but only two have been earned runs. His 4.67 ERA and struggles with command are worthy of a trip to Triple-A, but Aaron Boone does not think so.
"The bottom line is, he’s got to be part of our solution here,” Boone told reporters after Sunday's loss. “We’re up against it a little bit from an attrition standpoint. I know nobody likes hearing it, but he’s throwing the ball really well.”
Doval was an All-Star in 2023 and had 15 saves for the San Francisco Giants in 2025 before the Yankees traded for him. The version of Doval that the Yankees have seen is not only not an All-Star caliber pitcher, but flat-out bad. Left-handed batters have a 1.052 OPS against Doval this season. The difference between lefties and righties against Doval this season is the most staggering of his career.
He clearly needs to work some things out, and by keeping him in the big leagues, the Yankees are digging themselves into a deeper hole. On paper, Doval seems like a good option to have in the bullpen right now, but he's not helping the team in his current form. The Yankees are 1-9 in their last 10 games, and every loss makes the path to passing the Tampa Bay Rays in the division race tougher.
Doval could benefit from a stint in Triple-A, where he could work on his issues against lefties without doing damage to the team's record in the big leagues.