San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said on Monday at the winter meetings that right-hander Jordan Hicks will remain in the starting rotation in 2025. In his first full season as a starter in the big leagues in his first year with the Giants in 2024, the hard-throwing Hicks did very well but broke down in the second half and was then shifted to the bullpen to monitor his workload. He finished 4-7 with a 4.10 ERA (4.37 FIP), a 1.45 WHIP, one save, a career-high 96 strikeouts and 47 walks in a career-high 109 2/3 innings over 29 outings (20 starts). The 28-year-old should be better positioned to handle the elevated workload next year, but he'll fantasy managers shouldn't forget about his shoulder injuries from this past season. In his first 12 starts in 2024, Hicks had a 2.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 52:19 K:BB before falling apart in his final eight starts.
The San Francisco Giants placed right-hander Jordan Hicks (shoulder) back on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled pitcher Austin Warren from the minors in a corresponding move. Given the fact that there is just over a week left in the regular season, Hicks will not pitch again in 2024. The 28-year-old's elevated workload in his first year in the Bay Area as a starter has certainly caught up with him, and it's the same injury that he returned from less than a week ago. Because of Hicks' elevated workload, the Giants moved him to a relief role in the second half, and he has struggled out of the bullpen. Hicks was solid for fantasy managers early on as a starter, though, and he'll finish his first year with San Fran with a 4-7 record, 4.10 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, 96 strikeouts and 47 walks in a career-high 109 2/3 frames over 29 outings (20 starts).
San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks (shoulder) returned from the injured list on Saturday. Hicks was used immediately in a relief role on Saturday night, throwing an inning and giving up two hits but no runs in his first appearance since Aug. 24. Hicks has four wins and one save in 29 games this year covering 109 innings. The veteran has a 3.87 ERA and 1.42 WHIP this season for San Francisco, and his role for next year is undetermined at this time. Hicks began the year as a starter and was starting games through mid-July before the Gigantes moved him to their bullpen. Barring an injury heading into the offseason, Hicks will likely return to a starting role in 2025.
Giants Place Jordan Hicks On The 15-Day Injured List
The San Francisco Giants placed right-hander Jordan Hicks on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation ahead of Tuesday's game against the hosting Milwaukee Brewers. Hicks has been battling a lingering shoulder issue and was unavailable for Friday's contest against the Seattle Mariners after feeling a "zinger" down his right arm on two of his final three warmup pitches, but he was cleared to pitch after playing catch without issue the following day before eventually going on the IL. Hicks is 4-7 with a 3.90 ERA this year, making 20 starts before being moved to the bullpen in late July. The 27-year-old righty has made eight appearances in relief and logged 108 1/3 innings overall for the Giants this season. Ryan Walker and Camilo Doval figure to share save chances in San Francisco until Hicks is back in the mix, which likely won't be until mid-September.
Jordan Hicks A Potential Option For Giants' Open Closer Role
San Francisco Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks was mentioned by manager Bob Melvin as a potential option for the Giants' closing role after the club optioned Camilo Doval on Friday, but not quite yet. Melvin was hesitant to announce who'd get the closer role, and left Hicks' chances simply as a possibility. The 27-year-old has worked out of the bullpen for most of his career and was moved into San Francisco's bullpen in late July to protect his workload to finish the season. With Blake Snell and Robbie Ray coming back into San Francisco's rotation recently, it's provided the Giants some flexibility to keep Hicks in his familiar role. At three games back of a wild-card spot in the National League, San Francisco will stay aggressive as they look to snag a playoff spot. Hicks could be in line for valuable saves, and fantasy managers looking for closer help should be prepared for him to slide into that role yet again. In addition to Hicks, Ryan Walker, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers could all be part of a closing committee in San Fran.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks will not make the start on Sunday versus the visiting Colorado Rockies and will instead be moved to the bullpen to protect his career-high workload the rest of the way in 2024. The Giants will roll with left-hander Erik Miller as the opener in this one, with Hicks possibly come on in a relief role later in the ballgame. San Francisco was already preparing to move the 27-year-old Hicks to a bullpen role after he potentially made his final start of the year on Sunday. He gave up four runs while walking five and striking out seven in 3 2/3 innings in his last start against the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers and admitted that he has been feeling the effects of an elevated workload this year. His recent results have reflected that, as he's gone 0-4 with an 8.18 ERA and 1.95 WHIP in his last 22 innings pitched.
Jordan Hicks Could Be Moved To Bullpen This Weekend
The original plan for the San Francisco Giants was to give right-hander Jordan Hicks one more start this Sunday against the visiting Colorado Rockies and then meet to discuss his role for August and September. But after Hicks allowed four runs to the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday and admitted his body still feels "a little work down," the Giants will accelerate those talks and will possibly move Hicks to the bullpen this weekend. The issue is complicated this weekend by the fact that Giants have a doubleheader on Saturday, but either way, his fantasy value is plummeting in the second half. He has thrown 98 2/3 innings in 2024 in his transition to a starting role and is already 21 frames past his previous career-high. If Hicks makes one more start, it might last around three innings, so fantasy managers shouldn't start him.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks has been scratched from Sunday's scheduled start against the hosting Colorado Rockies. Instead, 22-year-old Hayden Birdsong will get the ball on Sunday for his fifth career big-league start. Hicks transitioned to a starter after inking a four-year deal with the Giants this past winter and has posted a solid 3.79 ERA across 19 outings on the season. However, his 95 innings pitched this season are already a career-high and his current 20.3% K% is a career-low at this point in the season. There haven't been any reports of an injury but it's worth noting that Hicks recently stated his body is "feeling it a bit more than past seasons". The run prevention is solid but his low strikeout rate combined with a potential return to the bullpen -- or the injured list -- puts a solid damper on his fantasy value.
San Francisco Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks admitted that his increased workload as a starter in 2024 in his first year with the Giants has affected him as the season progresses. "I'd say my body in general is just feeling it a little bit more than in past seasons," Hicks said. Coming into this season, the 27-year-old hadn't thrown more than 77 2/3 innings in a single season. He's already at 95 innings in 2024 in a starting role with the Giants, and his results of late would indicate that he's already starting to tire. Hicks allowed a season-high five earned runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out only one in a loss to the Blue Jays his last time out on Thursday and has surrendered 16 earned runs with eight walks and 15 K's in 18 1/3 innings in his last four starts. Fantasy managers may want to prepare for Hicks' workload to be limited in the second half.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks (4-5) picked up the loss Wednesday night, going five innings with three earned runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts in a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Hicks pitched decently overall, but he was no match for his counterpart on the rubber, who dominated his way through the Giants lineup. It was inevitable Hicks was going to come back to Earth after the incredible month of April he had, but in his first career season as a starting pitcher, he's shown enough poise and talent to stay in the rotation now and for the foreseeable future. One thing fantasy managers must keep tabs on is that he's already at a career-high 90 innings pitched on the season, which means his second-half value could plummet, depending on how the Giants decide to deploy him this summer. He could lose value in quality-starts leagues moving forward and could potentially be moved to the bullpen at some point to preserve his arm to run it back as a starting pitcher again in 2025.
Jordan Hicks
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Giants
