Cardinals starter Hicks leaves Tuesday’s game after taking a line drive off right wrist

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Cardinals starter Jordan Hicks left Tuesday’s game against the Mets at Busch Stadium due to injury in the third inning after he was struck by a line drive earlier in the outing. The team announced the injury as a “right wrist contusion” for Hicks and later added that X-rays on Hicks’ wrist came back negative.

Right wrist contusion is the official word from the Cardinals on Jordan Hicks' injury. Currently being evaluated.
— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) April 27, 2022

Facing Dom Smith in the top of the second inning, Hicks took a comebacker line drive off his right wrist. The Smith liner was measured by Statcast with an exit velocity of 99.7 mph. Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux, athletic trainer Adam Olsen and manager Oli Marmol immediately bounded out of the dugout to check on Hicks. The 25-year-old pitcher threw a pair of warm-up tosses to test his injury and remained in the game for the time being following the visit.

But in the top of the third, Hicks spiked a pitch several feet in front of home plate. That led to a second visit in as many innings from Maddux, Olsen and Marmol. When Marmol arrived at the mound to greet Hicks this time around, he took the ball from his starter after 42 pitches. Andre Pallante entered the game to pitch for the Cardinals and was given as much time as he needed to get loose before officially entering the game as an injury replacement.

That closed the line on Hicks in his second start of the season with four fewer pitches than he threw in his first-career MLB start on Thursday in Miami. Tuesday, Hicks finished without recording an out in the third, having gone 2.0 innings while allowing two hits, two earned runs and two walks. Hicks struck out one batter in his first-ever Busch Stadium start.

Tuesday likely would have been a day where Hicks was scripted for an increase on the 46 pitches he threw in his previous start as the Cardinals seek to stretch him out to a full starter’s workload at some point down the road. The immediate concern, however, pertains to the severity of Hicks’ wrist injury.