Cardinals' Hicks to undergo Tommy John surgery
St. Louis Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks will undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The surgery ends Hicks' 2019 season and could also put some or all of his 2020 campaign in jeopardy. His rehab could sideline him for 12-13 months, according to Mark Saxon of The Athletic.
Hicks' torn UCL was discovered Monday, two days after he left an outing with what was initially called triceps tendinitis.
The 22-year-old, one of the hardest throwers in the league, tallied 14 saves while averaging almost 10 strikeouts per nine innings over 29 appearances for the Cardinals in 2019, his second major-league season.
The Cardinals officially placed Hicks on the 10-day injured list earlier Tuesday. Pitchers Daniel Ponce de Leon and Dominic Leone were recalled from Triple-A Memphis in corresponding moves, while left-hander Genesis Cabrera was optioned to Memphis.
Manager Mike Shildt announced that former All-Star starter Carlos Martinez will take over for Hicks as the team's closer, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Despite his past success in the rotation, Martinez was moved to the bullpen full time after returning from a shoulder injury in May.
The 27-year-old Dominican has already saved two games this season and owns a 3.00 ERA with 14 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP across 13 relief appearances.