Wednesday night was the latest episode of what has been a horror show for Jordan Hicks in a Boston Red Sox uniform. The reliever allowed four earned runs while recording just one out in the first inning of Boston’s 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park.
Acquired by Boston on June 15 in the San Francisco Giants-Rafael Devers deal, Hicks has an 8.20 ERA since debuting for Boston on June 30, which ranks 172nd out of 175 qualifying relievers in Major League Baseball during that stretch. His 1.98 WHIP during the same stretch ranks 173rd.
In 18 2/3 innings with the Red Sox, Hicks has allowed 25 hits, 17 earned runs and 12 walks to the tune of a .321 opponent’s batting average.
Despite Hicks’ immense struggles, manager Alex Cora continues to go to him, and Cora explained that strategy after Wednesday’s defeat.
“We’ve got to figure him out,” Cora said, per Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo. “We need him. That’s the bottom line. Because we’ve got Whitlock as a setup man, we need righties in the bullpen to do their job. We trust the ability but we have to execute.”
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While Cora is understandably focused on the present, Boston’s brass also has 2026 to worry about with Hicks, when the right-hander is set to earn $11 million, making him one of the highest-paid relievers in the game.
That’s obviously a terrible overpay for Boston if Hicks continues performing like this, but Cora and the rest of the Red Sox’s leadership are praying that he turns things around.
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Boston will begin a road series on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Rookie sensation Payton Tolle will be on the hill for the Red Sox.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
