Cardinals name former closer Jordan Hicks as fifth starter in surprising move

The St. Louis Cardinals will have a surprising face in their rotation when they begin their season on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jordan Hicks, who had served as the Cardinals’ closer as recently as 2019, will open the year as the fifth starter, according to what manager Oliver Marmol announced on Wednesday.

Hicks, 25 years old, has never started or opened a game before in his big-league career. He was a starter earlier in his professional career, making 34 minor-league starts (including as recently as 2017) before he reached The Show. All that will change on Tuesday, when he’s scheduled to face the Kansas City Royals. Marmol, for his part, said he hopes that Hicks can get through two or three innings as the Cardinals build up his pitch count, according to MLB.com’s John Denton.