Jordan Hicks’ season ends as SF Giants place right-hander on injured list

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Giants expect to pencil Jordan Hicks into their starting rotation again in 2025, but his first season as a full-time starter came to an end Friday.

Hicks, 28, was placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder, ruling him out for nine remaining games on the Giants’ schedule and effectively ending his season.

It’s the second time shoulder inflammation has forced Hicks to the IL in the past month, but he vowed to return and “finish strong.” However, after being activated last weekend, Hicks made only one appearance, allowing three runs on four hits over 1⅓ innings in an 8-0 loss to the Padres, before landing back on the IL.

Right-hander Austin Warren was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to fill Hicks’ spot in the bullpen, where he transitioned at the end of July as the workload of a starting pitcher started to pile up.

After earning a reputation as a flame-throwing late-inning reliever in five seasons between St. Louis and Toronto, Hicks signed a four-year, $44 million contract this past offseason after the Giants promised to fulfill his wish to be a starting pitcher. The experiment had mixed results.

In 29 total appearances, Hicks posted a 4.10 ERA over 109⅔ innings, a substantial increase from his workload last season (65⅔ innings) and his previous career-high (77⅔). He collected one performance bonus for reaching 100 innings but was one out shy from collecting another $83,333.

Part of the bargain of becoming a starter meant learning to pace himself and pitch deeper into games, which led to a decrease in velocity and a career-low strikeout rate (7.9 K/9).

Hicks’ first month in the rotation was a rousing success, opening the season with five shutout innings in San Diego and going on to post a 1.59 ERA through his first six starts. As injuries piled up in San Francisco’s rotation, Hicks also played an important role at times as the only healthy starting pitcher besides Logan Webb.

However, as the innings added up, so too did the runs on Hicks’ pitching line. He failed to complete five innings for the first time on May 3 and would only pitch into the sixth inning once more time over his final 14 starts, with a 5.29 ERA, before making his first appearance in relief July 28.

Manager Bob Melvin recently confirmed the Giants’ plans to role with Hicks in their rotation next season, and the hope is that with a higher baseline, he can log something closer to a starting pitcher’s regular workload of 150-plus innings. Only he, Webb and Kyle Harrison can be slotted in with certainty, as Blake Snell is expected to opt out of his contract, and Robbie Ray also has the option but is considered less likely to test free agency.

Behind them, it will be a battle of the young arms who have received brief auditions this season, featuring Keaton Winn and Tristan Beck at full health, plus Landen Roupp and Hayden Birdsong with a season of big-league experience under them. Carson Whisenhunt has had a tough season at Triple-A but also could also compete for a spot.