The San Francisco Giants on Friday placed right-hander Jordan Hicks on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation. As Andrew Baggarly notes, the roster move, which effectively ends Hicks' season, comes as the pitcher was only one out away from earning $83,333 in incentives on top of his $6.5 million salary for this season.
This past winter, the Giants signed Hicks, now 28, to a four-year contract worth a guaranteed $44 million. The deal runs through the 2027 season. Hicks' 2024 ends with 109 2/3 innings pitched, a 4.10 ERA, and a 4.38 FIP in 20 starts and nine relief appearances.
Hicks had been a career-long member of the Cardinals prior to this season. In St. Louis, he worked primarily as a leverage reliever and leaned into his sinker, which boasts elite velocity. As a starter with the Giants, Hicks tweaked his repertoire and eased back on his fastball effort level in the name of improved stamina and health. It worked for a while, but Hicks' performance degraded significantly as the season wore on.
Hicks' first 20 appearances were as a starting pitcher, but he has been pitching out of the bullpen since late July. Hicks had a 4.91 ERA and opponents hit .340/.415/.532 against him as a reliever.
As for the Giants, they enter Friday's slate with a disappointing record of 74-79 and eliminated from postseason contention. They are 6-11 since Aug. 31.