JUPITER, Fla. 鈥 It was four years ago that a young righthander unleashed such lightning upon the Cardinals during spring training that they decided, on the eve of opening day, they couldn鈥檛 start the season without him in the bullpen.
Everything about Jordan Hicks happened quickly, from his sinker to his rise to the majors, his success at closer to his claim to the fastest pitch and then his exit with an elbow injury.
Now the Cardinals have a plan to give him something lacking in the years since his electric debut, his 104 mph fastball, something as vital as his velocity 鈥 staying power.
Limited to 10 innings during the past 33 months due to elbow surgery and recurring soreness, Hicks threw his first bullpen session of spring training Tuesday. He is about a week behind other pitchers, but the Cardinals believe they have enough time remaining before the regular season to build Hicks鈥 arm strength so that he could throw 40 to 50 pitches. They want to have him ready for a starter鈥檚 schedule but not a true starter鈥檚 role. While searching for a way to get their pitching through April, the Cardinals believe appearing for multiple innings, plotted for every few days, will be better for him than the daily demands of being a reliever.
An answer for the Cardinals鈥 immediate need may help Hicks long term.
鈥淎 part of it is just figuring out how to have him on a regular schedule,鈥 manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淔rom a health standpoint 鈥 in an ideal world, we could figure out a way for him to have scheduled off days and not going back to back all the time and being on that reliever schedule that sometimes, depending on the week, you鈥檙e just out there quite a bit. If we can figure out a way for him to get into this in a way that is scheduled, it would be beneficial to everybody.鈥
In his second bullpen of the month and first in Cardinals鈥 official workouts, Hicks gathered a crowd of observers.
He missed the catcher with his first three pitches.
鈥淕etting the jitters out,鈥 he smiled.
He then worked through each of his pitches, toggling between the sinker and elevated four-seamer and dropping in the slider. The Cardinals have twine stretched between two sticks to show pitchers the lowest edge of the strike zone. Hicks strummed it with a slider.
The bullpen session was not full strength or full speed, but it got him a half-step closer to facing hitters. Depending on how he recovers and how he feels, Hicks will either have another bullpen session or vault to live batting practice. His first game appearance has not been scripted. His throwing program is being determined day by day, which has been the case for months.
鈥淧atience. That鈥檚 a big one,鈥 Hicks said. 鈥淛ust being patient and knowing that your work is going to pay off. That鈥檚 one of the hardest parts 鈥 just being able to be patient and not rush anything just knowing, trust the process. There is always going to be bumps in the road, setbacks and stuff like that. Some people have it smooth and easy. Some people have a couple of rocks to jump over. I feel like I was one of those guys.鈥
Hicks, 25, had 14 saves in June 2019 before his elbow came apart and required Tommy John surgery to reconstruct it. A year later, Hicks opted out of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with a pre-existing condition. He鈥檚 a Type 1 Diabetic, and a fan greeted him Tuesday by shouting, 鈥淕o Diabetic Phenom!鈥 In spring 2021, Hicks made strides and pitched three times on the Cardinals鈥 season-opening road trip.
He got 10 appearances, 10 innings, 10 strikeouts and 10 walks into the season when, on May Day, he threw his final pitch in the majors.
Hicks described the sensation of having his elbow tighten up on him, the joint鈥檚 range of motion restricting with each throw as inflammation enraged it. He couldn鈥檛 get extension on his release, didn鈥檛 feel comfortable in his delivery and spent several months resting and searching for the easy cheese that had once been at his fingertips. He disclosed Tuesday that doctors traced the inflammation in the elbow back to a slight tear in the repaired ligament. It did not need additional surgery.
For one final test of the elbow before aiming toward a standard offseason, Hicks made two appearances in the Arizona Fall League. His control was off. He did check to see if the radar gun was on.
鈥淚 hit 100 mph a couple of times,鈥 he said. 鈥淒efinitely still in there. It鈥檚 not the worry for me. It鈥檚 more about learning to take a little off and command my stuff.鈥
The Cardinals floated the idea of preparing Hicks as a starter this offseason, but not to handle the workload of being in the rotation. The idea is to give him a scripted role and a schedule tailored to assure his recovery. The theory became a necessity after the 99-day lockout led to a truncated spring training and promised to test the depth of any pitching staff. The Cardinals have collected righthanded relievers and multi-inning options over the past week, and they鈥檙e including Hicks, Jake Woodford, Drew VerHagen and others in a group of multi-inning options to shoulder leftover innings as starters build arm strength on the job.
The concept comes from how the Cardinals emerged from the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 and threw numbers at their innings deficit. It鈥檚 a complex bullpen approach for Marmol and pitching coach Mike Maddux, and it鈥檚 complicated by MLB鈥檚 new rules that limit the number of pitchers to 13 on the active roster. Expanded rosters are being discussed for April.
Hicks is intrigued by the chance to extend his outings.
鈥淚 think I get stronger the longer I go in games,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just my opinion on how I pitch. But obviously I wouldn鈥檛 be coming out the first inning unloading the tank like you鈥檙e used to in the bullpen. It would be more of a progression, like 96 mph, starting 98 mph, topping out 101 mph, 100 mph. That鈥檚 my mindset. If I was in that role, 40-50 pitches, that鈥檚 where I see myself coming out.鈥
Not that the Cardinals wouldn鈥檛 welcome a 104 mixed in.
鈥淚f 104 is coming out of that arm, let it eat,鈥 Marmol said.
They just want to see it there in July, down the stretch in September and most of all in October. Hicks has yet to throw a pitch in the postseason. The Cardinals came up short of the playoffs in his most recent full season (2018), and he鈥檚 been on an injured list when they won berths in the past three consecutive postseasons. Autumn is one way to measure his absence.
鈥淚 know it鈥檚 been a long time by counting the days,鈥 Hicks said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e day to day focused on coming back, working hard, putting in the work, I feel like it goes faster. So maybe for the fans it might feel like three, four years since they鈥檝e seen me. For me, I鈥檝e been putting in the work. So I know I鈥檓 ready.鈥
Watch now: Cardinals continue spring training for a second day
Watch now: Miles Mikolas pitches against Cardinals' teammates
Watch now: St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals manager discusses pitching roster
Watch now: St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals Tommy Edman, and Nick Wittgren talk about being back on the field
Watch now: St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals Jordan Hicks warms up in the bullpen
Photos: St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiterr
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 of team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
St. 不良研究所导航网址 Cardinals start day 2 team workouts in Jupiter
Flaherty diagnosed with shoulder irritation in area where he's had a 'small' tear and pitched well despite it for years. Also: Reyes to miss a…
Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux keeps eyes on Jordan Hicks as he throws his first bullpen session on the second day of team workouts on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com