The Giants still have faith in right-handed closer Ryan Walker despite his recent struggles.

San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey told KNBR’s Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher on Thursday morning why Walker’s latest two-game stretch, in which he allowed six hits and six runs in 1/3 innings, doesn’t define the 29-year-old, nor earn him a demotion behind fellow right-handed back-end reliever Camilo Doval.

“I will say that when you asked the question,” Posey told Murphy and Boucher a few hours before the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 in the series finale, “part of what stood out to me is that you said [Walker’s] last two outings. And sometimes, we can be very reactive in this sport; especially, I’m learning in this position, it’s different as a player because I think you have a better sense of time as a player, you understand the length of the season and how many outings you’re going to have [or] how many at-bats you’re going to have. 

“There is a tendency to be reactive on this side, I think. [I’m] not saying that we shouldn’t, and we have to think about these things because it’s a business of production, and we have to win games. The belief is in Walker still. But Doval’s throwing the ball great. It’s nice to have two guys that have that type of stuff at the back at the back of the pen, and arguably, you can probably insert another guy or two in the ninth.”

Posey is confident Walker has a lot left to give. After all, Walker allowed just four hits and one run over his first eight outings of the 2025 MLB season.

But the first-year executive made one other aspect crystal clear — Walker’s role, as well as Doval’s — largely is decided by second-year Giants manager Bob Melvin. Posey will have a say, but he said Melvin and those in San Francisco’s dugout will be the “ones that make that call.”

Melvin has used Doval in three of San Francisco’s last four games, including the Giants’ series-clinching win over the Brewers on Thursday at Oracle Park. But, as Posey said, that doesn’t mean Walker will be out of the mix.

Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

“Camilo has now pitched three out of four, and Walker will have [Friday],” Melvin told reporters postgame on Thursday. “When you have this type of stretch, you almost kind of need two closers. So, we just gave Walk the day today.”

The “stretch” Melvin referred to is San Francisco’s current schedule of 17 games without a day off, which, 14 games and eight wins in, the Giants have played in eight contests decided by two or fewer runs.

Melvin expects to use Walker in Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. Perhaps the struggling reliever can bounce back against a Rangers offense coming off two losses in West Sacramento to the Athletics.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast