When Jordan Wicks landed on the injured list at the end of May, the Iowa Cubs pitcher couldn’t throw in games. But he could keep working. Wicks, who could still throw while he dealt with a left hamstring strain, was able to focus on a few things that he didn’t have time to work on while pitching in the Triple-A team’s starting rotation.
“I think it was just getting more linear down the mound and not being so rotational, like side to side and just kind of simplifying it,” Wicks said.
The time off helped and the work he put in paid off. Now, Wicks might be pitching better than he has all season. The lefty struck out four and allowed just one hit in four shutout innings in his return. Five days later, he struck out six and allowed just one run on three hits in three innings of work.
“I feel good,” Wicks said. “It feels good to be back out there and good to be competing.”
The season has been full of ups and downs for Wicks. The 25-year-old southpaw has been shuttled between Chicago and Iowa, battled the injury and moved in and out of the bullpen. That’s led to some weird results for Wicks who went 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in two games with Chicago and 0-3 with a 4.35 ERA in 11 games, including 10 starts with Iowa.
The movements led to extended time off in between outings for Wicks who struggled to get in any sort of a rhythm early on. Then, when he finally did, he left his May 24 start with Iowa at Columbus after retiring just one hitter. Wicks was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.
Even though the Cubs had to place Wicks on the injured list, he was able to keep throwing. With the exception of two days off from throwing, Wicks kept trying to fix any issues that had been plaguing him throughout the young season. There weren’t much. But most of the work was put on the backburner as Wicks went through the routine of getting ready for his starts.
“It was nice because it allowed me to really simplify and just focus on pitching out of my stretch,” Wicks said.
Wicks not only looks better than ever but feels better than ever. He said the time off helped shore up his mechanics, and he hasn’t felt this great since the beginning of last season before he got hurt.
“I feel like this is the cleanest my mechanics have been and the best spot that my stuff’s been at,” Wicks said.
It shows. During his last time out, Wicks tallied 13 swing and misses from Columbus hitters. But there’s still work to be done for Wicks who is still under a tight pitch count as he works his way back. Wicks said he expects to be able to throw around 75 pitches in his next offering.
The hope is that he can be an X-factor for the Cubs later in the year with Chicago still looking for a starting pitcher. Wicks, a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2021, made his big-league debut in 2023, winning four games and compiling a 4.41 ERA in seven starts with Chicago. But injuries limited him last season. He’s hoping there’s still time to salvage this season.
“As long as I continue to work on what I’ve been working on and doing the stuff that I’ve been doing in the game, I can definitely help impact that team,” Wicks said.
While Wicks hopes that is with the Cubs, he understands that with Major League Baseball’s trade deadline coming up, he could be the odd man out and possibly shipped to another team. He’s trying not to pay attention to any talk of that, though.
“I’m not naïve enough to know that could include me,” Wicks said. “So, whatever I have to do to get back to the big leagues is what I’m going to do.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Jordan Wicks believes he can help big league club
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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