Red Sox Send Reliever With 8.20 ERA To IL In Necessary Roster Shakeup

The Boston Red Sox did the only thing they realistically could in regards to slumping relief pitcher Jordan Hicks.

Hicks was essentially a salary dump from the San Francisco Giants in the blockbuster Rafael Devers trade in June, but the Red Sox had high hopes of converting him back into a high-leverage reliever after dabbling as a starter in the Bay Area. Instead, he's been the worst pitcher on the roster -- maybe anyone's roster.

In 21 appearances as a Red Sox, Hicks now owns an ERA of 8.20 in 18 2/3 innings. After he surrendered four earned runs in only a third of an inning on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians, the Red Sox simply had to make a change.

Red Sox place Jordan Hicks on IL, recall Chris Murphy

On Thursday, the Red Sox are expected to place Hicks on the 15-day injured list and recall left-hander Chris Murphy from Triple-A Worcester, according to a report from Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

"Hicks will be eligible to rejoin the Red Sox by the end of the regular season, which concludes September 28, but his struggles mean the club might choose to keep him on the shelf through the end of the year," wrote Cotillo.

"Hicks (is) under control for two more seasons past this one, earning $12 million in each season. He signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Giants before 2024 and the Red Sox took on that whole contract as part of the Devers agreement."

Putting someone on the "phantom IL" is illegal by the letter of the law in Major League Baseball, but it would be nearly impossible to prove Hicks' shoulder isn't banged up in some fashion, and that's not to say with any certainty that he's not dealing with something.

Either way, his struggles went on too long to ignore, and Boston couldn't justify designating him for assignment without at least making some tweaks with him this offseason.

Yes, the Red Sox now have five lefties and only four righties in their bullpen -- and one of those righties is Zack Kelly, who has spent most of the season in the minors and threw four innings on Wednesday. That total does not, however, include Dustin May, who pitched out of the bullpen for the first time as a Red Sox in Wednesday's game and has a tenuous hold on a rotation spot.

In addition, Murphy has been platoon-neutral in 2025, with a slightly better opponent OPS against right-handed batters (.592) than lefties (.648). It's a small sample size, but even if Murphy winds up better against lefties than righties in the long-term, he's likely to be better against both for now than Hicks would have been.

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