St. Louis Cardinals: Cards recall Jordan Hicks to Spring Training

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday that their young phenom pitcher is being recalled from STEP camp.

The St. Louis Cardinals have many pitchers with high promises going into 2018. Among these is Jordan Hicks who was a disappointment for the St. Louis Cardinals management and front office early in Spring Training.

The disappointment was not necessarily over performance but was related more to Hicks’ professionalism. Jordan Hicks, a young 21-year-old, had real difficulties showing up to practice and other team events on time. This was not acceptable for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In the wake of his lack of professionalism, Hicks was sent packing to STEP camp and told to, quote, work on things. At least this was what Mike Matheny told reporters. We have all now learned that Hicks’ optioning was more about his timeliness than his performance.

Having now served his “time-out,” Hick is back and it appears that his promise has followed him. Not only is he moved from STEP to regular Spring Training, but he also carries with him the praise of Matheny.

The Cardinals had hoped to bring No.7 prospect Jordan Hicks back at some point this spring after punctuality issues earned him an early demotion. Today he is back, slated to pitch against the Marlins. Mike Matheny called the 21-year-old "the biggest arm in camp." #STLCards
— Joe Trezza (@JoeTrezz) March 21, 2018

Where once Matheny was quiet, he is now speaking in favor of and in support of Jordan Hicks.

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Not only is he speaking in Hicks’ favor, but Matheny is also inserting Hicks immediately into action. On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals are to face the Miami Marlins with Matthew Bowman taking the hill to start. The plan, as we know it, is for Hicks to follow Bowman for two innings of work.

Hicks could spell a solution to the St. Louis Cardinals’ closer issue since has respectable fire and zip on his pitches. The question will be whether the young arm has the command and control necessary to close games.

When he did pitch earlier this spring, these were his numbers:

2018 Spring Training
Year	Tm	Age	GS	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	OppQual
2018	STL	21	0	0	0		0.00	1	0	1	0	0	0	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	4	1.000	9.0	0.0	0.0	18.0

Note the two strikeouts in the four batters faced. This IS the stuff of a closer and would seem to indicate that Hicks has decent control. Today will be a big day for Hicks as his load will be increased by one total inning if the plan is followed completely.

Apparently Hicks did more than work on his pitching in STEP camp. He clearly worked on his timeliness such that the St. Louis Cardinals feel confident in bringing him back and confident that he has learned his lesson.

I hope that the likes of Carlos Martinez and/or Yadier Molina take this young hurler under their wings and teach him a thing or two about being a young stud in the majors. There is, however, a major part of me (probably the fact that I’m a parent) that worries that the lack of professionalism is just a glimpse of what is to come.

Let us hope that Jordan Hicks can learn from this episode and repeat the turn-around in keeping with the turn-around that Carlos Martinez himself once transpired.

Next: Best moves out of camp

Do you think calling Hicks back now makes sense? Let me know on Twitter and thanks for reading!

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