JUPITER, Fla. — Weather: 77 degrees, partly cloudy
Result: Nationals 3, Cardinals 2
It was only 11 pitches, eight of which were strikes, in a B game on a back field – but it might have been the most important 11 pitches thrown by any Cardinals pitcher so far this spring.
The pitches were thrown on Wednesday in West Palm Beach by Jordan Hicks, the first pitches he has thrown to opposing hitters in a game anywhere since June 22, 2019, before he underwent Tommy John surgery.
The game was off-limits to the media because of health and safety protocol reasons, but manager Mike Shildt had a front-row seat as Hicks struck out the first Washington hitter he faced, then retired the next two on groundballs.
“I don’t think it would have mattered what lens you were looking at it from, your vantage point, my vantage point, standing upside down on your head, I don’t know if that would have mattered – it was pretty darn good,” Shildt said. “Three first-pitch strikes, in control of what he was doing, clearly life to his ball. Super encouraging first outing.”
Assuming Hicks recovers as expected on Thursday, his next appearance likely will be in a regular spring training game. Shildt said Hicks is on a trajectory to be on the roster when the regular season begins in three weeks.
Hicks missed the shortened 2020 season after deciding not to pitch because of his status as a Type 1 diabetic, which put him at a higher risk of contracting coronavirus. He spent that year rehabbing, which is never an easy assignment.
“He took advantage, super proud of him, it can’t be said enough,” Shildt said. “He handled it well. He had assistance on the road, but that can be a lonely road. He traveled it as well as anybody, hats off to him. Jordan looks phenomenal.”
While Hicks was away last season, the Cardinals collected 13 saves in their 58 games, split among seven relievers. Andrew Miller and Giovanny Gallegos each had four, and five other pitchers had one apiece.
Shildt stopped short on Wednesday of declaring that Hicks will open the season as the closer, but it doesn’t appear there is any doubt he will be back in that spot before long.
“An analogy on the offensive side, you add a big bat to the lineup and it makes everything around it better,” he said. “You’re talking about a big piece we can count on who has experience in high-leverage situations. It allows more depth to what we’re doing and creates more roles for different people.
“The good news is we’ve got a lot of options and he’s definitely one of them.”
Some pitchers who undergo the elbow surgery come back throwing even harder than they did before the operation. Could that happen with Hicks, who topped the 100 miles per hour mark with almost every fastball he threw?
“I wouldn’t rule it out,” Shildt said. “I really hesitate to put velocity targets out there especially with Jordan, for him to think he has to do even more. That would be pretty amazing.
“Right now I really don’t want him thinking about velocity. I want him thinking about what he did today. which was execution of pitches.”
It Hicks is healthy, Shildt knows the velocity will be there.
“I think he’s pretty much cleared, all shapes and forms,” Shildt said. “Clearly we are going to be cautious. We’ve been slow-playing this spring and rightfully so, but he’s checking all the boxes. We will get to the point where thankfully he will just be another guy on the club. … He is totally ready to go, which is encouraging for everybody.”
Hicks was not made available to the media after his outing, but his teammate, Jack Flaherty, was asked what having a healthy Hicks coming out of the bullpen will mean for the Cardinals this season.
“It means a lot of trouble for everybody else,” Flaherty said.
Here is how Wednesday’s regular game against the Nationals broke down:
High: Flaherty had his best start of the spring, working three scoreless innings before giving up a home run in the fourth.
Low: The Cardinals were facing Washington ace and St. Louis native Max Scherzer, who retired all nine of the hitters he faced in three innings, recording five strikeouts. The Cardinals hit just two balls out of the infield off Scherzer.
At the plate: Tommy Edman had two of the Cardinals’ five hits, including a double … Jose Rondon hit his second triple of the spring before he scored on a ground out by John Nogowski … Nolan Arenado drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly … The Cardinals were hitless in three at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: Flaherty allowed just one baserunner through the first three innings, on a walk, before giving up a hit and a two-run homer to Starlin Castro in the fourth … Johan Oviedo made his first appearance of the spring in a regular game and allowed one run in two innings … Non-roster righthander Tommy Parsons continued his strong spring with two scoreless innings. He has not allowed a run in 6 1/3 innings, covering four appearances.
Worth noting: Harrison Bader was back in the lineup for the first time since March 2 and was 0-of-3 … John Gant worked four innings as the starter in the B game and appears to be leading the competition for the spot in the rotation to replace Miles Mikolas, who was scheduled to undergo tests on his shoulder and arm on Wednesday. The results of those exams are expected in a couple of days.
Up next: The Cardinals do not have a game on Thursday but will have a “light” workout, according to Shildt. They will host the Astros on Friday night in Jupiter, with Adam Wainwright expected to start the game.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains