Jordan Hicks knew he was in for a challenge when embracing the unknown of becoming a full-time starter for the first time in his MLB career, but the grueling grind of his new role appears to be catching up to him.
The 27-year-old came out of the gates firing during his first season with the Giants, looking like one of the National League's best pitchers over his first 10 starts, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.38 ERA across 53 innings of work, allowing two or fewer earned runs in nine of those appearances.
Hicks has since abruptly hit a wall, going winless in his last eight starts entering the Giants' 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday, while seeing his ERA more than double (5.02) over that span. That trend continued in San Francisco's series-finale defeat against Toronto, with Hicks once again getting roughed up, allowing five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work in his final start before a much-needed MLB All-Star break.
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Following the loss, Hicks revealed that despite throwing a career-high 95 innings already this season, the plan remains to continue his current workload in the Giants' starting rotation when San Francisco returns from the upcoming 2024 MLB All-Star break.
"I'm getting to that point where I am starting to feel it a little bit," Hicks told reporters after Thursday's loss. "All-Star break is here, see how that helps, but pretty much going to be on the same schedule as I am right now, depending on how everything lines up with the rotation."
Hicks then detailed that his body is beginning to feel the tax that comes with more innings on the mound, acknowledging his lack of production over his last handful of starts and the decline relative to his red-hot start to the season.
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"I'd say that my body in general is just feeling it a little bit more than in past seasons," Hicks told reporters. "But it's also my firsty time getting this deep with starting. I haven't really felt like I've had my best stuff the past five or six starts. But going out there and grinding -- [I've] played with a lot of great starters throughout the years and nobody ever feels like 100 percent. So just trying to take that mindset with a little bit of protecting myself, knowing it's my first time getting this deep. It's kind of that balance."
There always were going to be growing pains as Hicks adjusted to a new normal in an unfamiliar role, but the Giants' dire injury situation has offered San Francisco minimal wiggle room when it comes to being flexible with the right-hander's usage.
Hicks and Logan Webb have spent considerable chunks of the 2024 season as the only healthy starters in the Giants' rotation, forcing manager Bob Melvin to make due with a pitching staff that is a shell of what San Francisco envisioned when building its roster for the season.
Despite Hicks' recent rough stretch, Melvin lauded the right-hander's ability to eat innings and assist the Giants' efforts to quell the brutal wave of injuries San Francisco's rotation has dealt with since the season began.
"Look [Hicks is] at a point now where he's battling, hopefully once we get to the break it will give him a nice little rest [which] he hasn't had this year," Melvin told reporters. "One thing, he's taken the ball for us every single time. I know the last few times over the last month or so, the [velocity] hasn't been the same, but hopefully after the break it will pick up a little bit."
After Blake Snell's triumphant return in Tuesday's win, the Giants' rotation slowly is beginning to resemble to a complete unit, with Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray feasibly joining the group in the near future as well.
For now, Hicks can take solace in the upcoming breather offered by the All-Star break, providing an opportunity to rediscover the early-season form that saw him rank among the league's best.
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