St. Louis Cardinals: Jordan Hicks likely going on injured list

With Jordan Hicks likely going on the injured list, how will the St. Louis Cardinals replace him in the late innings?

The latest update on St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks is that there is no update, with manager Mike Shildt telling reporters, including Katie Woo of The Athletic, that there is a very real chance he is placed on the Injured List.

“2 plus 2 usually equals 4,” Shildt said, when asked about the possibility of an IL stint.

Hicks, 24, was removed from May 1s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with right forearm tightness. The Cardinals later described it as elbow inflammation, sending the right-hander back to St. Louis to undergo a series of tests to determine the severity of the injury.

The initial scans, as of Monday night, were still unclear, but the fact that the Cardinals are openly saying that Hicks is destined for the IL is not a good sign. The team is hoping that it will not require more than a 10-day stint, but reading the tea leaves and knowing Hicks is two years removed from Tommy John surgery, it is likely the team exercises extreme caution with their flame throwing reliever.

Losing Hicks for any amount of time would be a huge blow to the bullpen. While he has a 5.40 ERA in 10 appearances this season, he formed a strong one-two punch in the late innings with Alex Reyes. His injury puts a lot more pressure on Reyes and opens up the possibility of president of baseball operations John Mozeliak looking outside the organization for bullpen help.

For now, it is likely they stay in house to address their bullpen. But with the Cardinals playing their best baseball and looking like a real contender in the National League, they seem primed to add a reliever or two at the July 30 trade deadline, even if Hicks’ injury is determined to not be long-term.