Southpaw pitcher Jordan Wicks nears return, showcasing sharp stuff on rehab assignment. His strong outing offers the Chicago Cubs valuable pitching depth.
The Chicago Cubs could be welcoming back one pitcher very soon.
Left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks appears close to a return after beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A on Saturday. Wicks started for the Iowa Cubs in that game and looked sharp in his first few innings of the season.
The southpaw threw three scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts against Triple-A Columbus. He retired the first four batters of the game and faced minimal traffic on the basepaths in this outing.
It was a successful first rehab start for Wicks. The 26-year-old threw 37 pitches (24 strikes) with a 28.6% hard-hit rate, a 40.9% chase rate, a 34.8% whiff rate, and a 0% barrel rate. He also had a 21.6% swinging strike rate and was in command all game.
Wicks is working his way back from a forearm injury that he suffered during the spring. He was diagnosed with a left forearm radial nerve irritation in late February and has spent the last couple of weeks building back up.
Since Wicks missed most of the spring with this forearm issue, this is basically an extended Spring Training for him. He will likely need a few rehab outings before the Cubs decide on his next steps.
It remains to be seen whether the Cubs will promote Wicks to the Major League roster once fully healthy. He could be a solid long-relief option as the team navigates several injuries to its bullpen.
The former first-round pick could also stay in the Minors and give the Cubs some much-needed starting pitcher depth in Triple-A. That would ensure Wicks stays built up as a starter, making him an easy replacement if another starting pitcher goes down.
The potential has always been there for Wicks to be a solid big leaguer. He finished with a 3.55 ERA and 77 strikeouts across 20 appearances (16 starts) at Triple-A last season, and his 35.3% chase rate, 83.6 mph average exit velocity, and 26.1% strikeout rate in those games all ranked extremely well.
Even in his limited innings with the Cubs last season, Wicks showed some nice things. His expected ERA (3.99) was 229 points lower than his actual ERA (6.28), and he posted a top chase rate (40.4%), walk rate (1.5%), and barrel rate (5.7%) in his 14 ⅓ innings.
While no one truly knows the Cubs' plan for Wicks once he is fully recovered, it is a fantastic sign that he is back on the mound.