SF Giants experiment with former reliever may be nearing its end

The SF Giants signed pitcher Jordan Hicks in the offseason promising him the chance to be a full-time starter. He has thrived in this role at times, but his recent starts have fueled the belief that he may soon be returning to a reliever role.

SF Giants experiment with former reliever may be nearing its end

The Hicks signing was one of the most interesting free agent moves the Giants made. They were taking a chance on a guy with exceptional stuff who wanted to finally be a big league starter. The thinking was that if he did not take to being a starter the Giants could simply move him back to the bullpen.

Early in the season, it seemed like Hicks was there to stay in the rotation. His first month was phenomenal as he had a 1.59 ERA in 6 starts and went 5 or more innings in each of his starts.

Since then, his numbers have precipitously dropped with each month and his ERA is currently 3.79. Since the start of June, he has only made it through 5 innings 3 times in 7 starts. His velocity has dipped as the season has gone on and he admitted after his most recent start that his body is feeling the effects of starting every fifth day up to this point in the season.

This makes complete sense and was fairly predictable considering Hicks has already surpassed his previous record of most innings thrown in an MLB season. Plus, he has had to make some starts in very hot and humid climates as of late which can certainly wreak some havoc on the body.

Perhaps the All-Star break will give Hicks the reset he needs to get back on track. However, if the struggles continue after that then the Giants may be forced to put Hicks back in the bullpen. If everything goes according to plan, they are set to get Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray back after the All-Star break. They could slide them into the rotation while demoting Hayden Birdsong to Triple-A and moving Hicks into the bullpen.

That would not mean the definitive end of Hicks in the rotation. He has proven he can be an effective starter and could definitely go back into the rotation if guys get injured or struggle. But for now, it is clear that he needs some rest.

Who knows, maybe if the Giants decide to sell at the deadline and trade away closer Camilo Doval, Hicks could end up becoming the team's closer. There is a lot that can happen, but for now Hicks clearly needs a lighter workload.