The Golden Arm Of Jordan Hicks Was On Display This Week

Jordan Hicks has certainly been through a lot of adversity during his big league career.

The flame thrower has battled arm injuries that have forced him to miss significant time, but now he’s healthy and back out there dealing.

 

This season, Hicks has been called upon during late innings of games and has also been used in save opportunities. 

 

In his last three appearances, he’s recorded three saves for the St. Louis Cardinals, and those saves have come in dominating fashion.

 

With Ryan Hensley on the injured list. Hicks has stepped up in the closer role.

 

On Monday, Hicks ended the game against the Washington Nationals with a filthy sinker that clocked in at 104 mph.

As a hitter, you have to ask, what can I do with that pitch?

 

Lane Thomas was the final out in that game and talked about how effective Hicks’ pitches were, especially that sinker.

 

“It moves a lot, too,” Thomas said in an article from mlb.com. “It’s not just a straight fastball. I was taking a strike that last at-bat, and I feel like I probably would have swung the bat at both those balls because of how much they moved in and off the plate. Tough at-bat.”

 

A pitch like that is almost unhittable and that is something that makes Hicks so effective out there on the mound.

 

He picked up his first save of the season on June 17 against the New York Mets. He struck out three in his lone inning of work, which ended a six-game losing streak for the Cardinals.

 

On the season, Hicks has a 1-4 record through 30 games with a 4.02 ERA and 49 strikeouts.

With all the injuries that Hicks has had, keeping a close eye on his health is something very important to him.

 

He went three consecutive days making an appearance on the mound and picking up the save for the Cardinals.

 

“It’s not something I’m new to, but getting to this point has been kind of cautious,” Hicks said. “[The team] wants to hear from me if I’m ready on that third day, because they know I’m pretty cautious about my health. I think that’s why we need communication, and it works.”

 

Before the game on Monday, Hicks spoke with Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and had a simple message for him.

 

“During batting practice, he made sure to come and get me and say, ‘If it’s a save situation, you better hand me the baseball,’” Marmol said.

 

“He wants the ball,” Marmol said. “He wants to win. That can fire up the club.”

 

Hicks has the competitiveness in him and wants to do his best to put his team in a position to win games. 

 

For him to still be throwing as hard as he does, even with the injuries he’s dealt with in the past, is very impressive.

 

And the Cardinals are making sure they’re doing everything they can to keep the 26-year-old on the field.