The Yankees’ slide has reached the kind of place where even the explanations sound maddening. After going 1-9 in their past 10 games against teams that opened their respective series 14, 14 and four games below .500, New York is stuck in a stretch that has felt flat from the start. And no one is drawing more heat inside that mess than Camilo Doval.
That’s what happens when a reliever keeps landing in the middle of the same ugly movie. Doval has been in the spotlight because bullpen arms always are in close games, and his outings have become the kind that drag the frustration out inning after inning. Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger going down quickly to end the fourth barely register next to a reliever who keeps coming in and giving the game a chance to tilt the other way.
Doval’s Yankees run has been rocky from the jump. In his debut, he allowed three runs, one earned, in the ninth inning in Miami and turned what had already been a wild game into a loss New York could not survive. Since then, even after an offseason of work aimed at cleaning up his inconsistencies, the same issues keep showing up: the 100-plus velocity, the slider-heavy approach, and the damage when the ball leaves his hand and the at-bat is still alive.
He also has minor-league options, something the Yankees have used before with pitchers who needed a reset. Chad Green was demoted.
Tommy Kahnle was demoted. In both cases, it helped.
But Boone’s answer after Sunday’s game pointed in the opposite direction.
Aaron Boone on Camilo Doval:
"I know nobody likes hearing it, but he's been throwing the ball really well" pic.twitter.com/gTZgE54mBB
- Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 5, 2026
That’s the part that makes this whole thing so strange. Boone is saying the stuff is there, and the results keep saying otherwise. Doval is still missing with sliders, still spiking pitches in the dirt, and still failing to finish hitters off when it matters most.
Then came Doval’s own comments, which only added to the oddness of it all. After Sunday’s game, he said he feels as good as he ever has.
“In my career as a pitcher, I’ve never felt this good.”
Camilo Doval says he’s confident he’ll overcome his struggles, as they stretch into nearly a full season with the Yankees.
READ: https://t.co/YrfHrqt7lf
- Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) July 5, 2026
According to Brendan Kuty, Doval said he still believes he’s executing his pitches well and just isn’t getting the results he wants for reasons outside his control. That confidence may sound useful in theory, but it comes after back-to-back crushing walks and a two-out single that spoiled an extra-innings game against the Tigers, then six runs in two innings against the Twins, all unearned because he couldn’t close the door with two outs.
At some point, the Yankees need the feeling and the execution to line up. Right now, they don’t.
And with the margin getting thinner, patience is not the easiest thing to sell. Doval remains a puzzle, which is part of why he was there for the Yankees to get last summer in the first place.
But feeling good is only part of the job. The finish has to show up too, and that’s still missing.
In Other News...
Yankees Suddenly Have New Deadline Chips Fans Arent Talking About
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For a front office that is always weighing present needs against future depth, that kind of progress can change the conversation quickly. Hurds recent outing hinted at real upside, Carr has paired command with swing-and-miss stuff, and Marinez has been productive as a teenager in the Florida Complex League after the Yankees made room for him in the international market. If those trends keep going, the Yankees may have a few more ways to navigate the deadline than fans realize. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Linked To The Deadline Move Fans Have Been Demanding
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Sandy Alcantara is the kind of starter who would change the tone of any deadline discussion, and his name carries obvious appeal for a Yankees club that wants more certainty on the mound. Even so, any pursuit comes with the usual questions tied to his recent injury history and how he would hold up over the rest of the season, which is part of why this feels like the sort of move that could dominate the final weeks before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Deadline Reunion Rumor Raises Big Question About This Lineup
The Yankees offense has spent much of the season looking like a group still searching for a spark, which is why any deadline chatter tied to middle-infield help is going to draw attention. One name floating into the conversation is a familiar one, and the appeal is obvious on the surface: a bat with enough familiarity to make the fit feel easy, at least in theory, for a club trying to patch over its lineup issues.
But the deeper look is where the uncertainty starts to creep in. The player in question has dealt with oblique trouble for much of the year, and even with the Yankees clearly needing more production, there are reasons to wonder whether this is the kind of move that solves the right problem. For a team under pressure to hit better now, the deadline will be about more than reunion nostalgia. [Read more 🡒]