Jordan Hicks’ latest implosion Wednesday night might be the last time he takes the mound for the Red Sox in 2025.
Hicks, who watched his ERA with Boston balloon to 8.20 when he allowed four earned runs on four hits (including a Gabriel Arias homer) while recording just a single out in Wednesday’s 8-1 loss to the Guardians, will be placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder issue ahead of Friday’s game in Arizona, according to multiple sources. Left-hander Chris Murphy will join Boston’s bullpen as a long relief option.
Hicks, who was acquired in the Rafael Devers blockbuster with the Giants in June, has struggled mightily as a member of the Red Sox. He has allowed 20 runs (17 earned) on 25 hits while issuing 12 walks, hitting four batters and recording 15 strikeouts in 18 ⅔ innings over 21 appearances. The Red Sox envisioned the 28-year-old as a late-inning complement to Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Justin Wilson when they acquired him but so far have had no choice but to use Hicks in low-leverage situations. On Wednesday, he took over for opener Brennan Bernardino with two outs in the first inning. He escaped that frame with a strikeout but allowed four straight hits to start the second.
“We’ve got to figure (Hicks) out. We need him,” manager Alex Cora said after the game. 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.”
Hicks will be eligible to rejoin the Red Sox by the end of the regular season, which concludes September 28, but his struggles mean the club might choose to keep him on the shelf through the end of the year. Hicks under control for two more seasons past this one, earning $12 million in each season. He signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Giants before 2024 and the Red Sox took on that whole contract as part of the Devers agreement.
Murphy, who re-joined the Red Sox after a long absence due to Tommy John surgery in late June, logged a 3.05 ERA in 20 ⅔ relief innings over a six-week span before being sent back down to the WooSox on August 10 when the club swapped him out for Jovani Morán. In 13 Triple-A appearances this year (21 ⅓ innings), Murphy owns a 3.38 ERA while striking out 22 batters. He pitched one inning in his last outing Wednesday but before that was stretched out to two or three innings (and maxed out at 41 pitches).
The Red Sox will begin a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday night with rookie Payton Tolle making his second career start opposite former Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.
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