ST. LOUIS — On a scale of injuries, the right wrist contusion suffered Tuesday night by Cardinals right-hander Jordan Hicks, who has had myriad elbow problems since 2019, doesn’t rank as the most dire thing that’s happened to him. For instance, he lives every day as a Type 1 diabetic.
Still, Hicks, transitioning to the rotation from the bullpen, had to exit his second career start, a 3-0 loss to the New York Mets, probably an inning before a pitch count would have hastened that departure. He finished the second inning after taking a Dominic Smith smash off his wrist. But he retired none of the three hitters he faced in the third, bouncing three consecutive pitches in a walk to New York’s Brandon Nimmo after permitting back-to-back doubles to Jeff McNeil and James McCann, the .125 batter who had three hits on Tuesday.
Hicks, at 42 pitches, was removed, in large part so that he could be evaluated and treated. In fact, X-rays taken at the facilities in Busch Stadium came back as negative and he may not miss too much time.
