The Pirates went shopping for bullpen help at the trade deadline, and Camilo Doval has quickly become one of the biggest returns.
Since arriving from the New York Yankees on Aug. 1 in exchange for catcher Omar Alfonzo and 18-year-old outfielder Luis Cruz, the right-hander has given Pittsburgh exactly the kind of impact it was looking for. He’s been especially important in the Pirates’ last two games at Petco Park, working a scoreless inning in the 3-2 extra-innings win over the San Diego Padres on Aug. 24 and another scoreless inning in the 1-0 shutout on Aug. 25.
That’s only part of the picture. Doval has turned in a 1.50 ERA over 12 outings with Pittsburgh, allowing two earned runs, six hits and nine walks while striking out 12. Opponents are hitting just .154 against him, and he’s carrying a 1.25 WHIP.
The walks are the one number that stands out a little, but even there, the trend is moving the right way. Doval has issued only one walk over his last three appearances, has allowed no more than one baserunner in his last four outings and is riding a streak of six straight scoreless appearances.
His biggest moment so far came in the series opener against the Padres, when he entered the bottom of the 10th with the game tied. Doval got a first-pitch double play when Padres left fielder Dustin Harris II popped up a bunt to Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who threw to shortstop Jacob Gonzalez for the double play, and then Doval struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. to keep Pittsburgh alive.
He’s also worked two scoreless seventh innings, including the most recent win over San Diego and a July 19 outing against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park that helped set up the Pirates’ 4-3 win on Brandon Lowe’s walk-off home run.
Pittsburgh has used Doval in a few different ways since the trade, at times to soak up innings in a lopsided loss and more recently in high-leverage spots. That fits with what Doval said when he first joined the club.
“To this point, I haven’t heard the specific role, but it don’t matter because I’m here to pitch and wherever they need me to throw in the game, I’ll be ready, and time will tell with my job of what kind of role or where I’m going to land,” Doval said through interpreter Stephen Morales when he first joined.
The change of scenery has been a welcome one after a rough season with the Yankees. In 2026, Doval posted a 4.54 ERA in 44 outings and 39.2 innings, along with a .250 batting average allowed and a 1.41 WHIP. His numbers at Yankee Stadium were even tougher, with a 7.04 ERA.
Now he’s settled in with Pittsburgh and has become a key piece of a bullpen that’s been reshaped at the deadline. Doval was one of four relief additions, joining Lake Bachar from the Miami Marlins, Luke Weaver from the New York Mets and Kirby Yates from the Los Angeles Angels.
All four have helped the Pirates in different ways, giving the club a chance to hang around in games, protect leads and stay alive for comeback opportunities later.
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