LOS ANGELES — One of the adjustments Jordan Hicks made to revving his fastball and reviving his place as a late-inning option for the Cardinals was to start playing catch at a higher velocity, believing he needed to practice at the same pace he pitched.
First, he had to find someone willing to catch 100 mph throws.
The bullpen offered an option: closer Ryan Helsley.
“Fireball to fireball,” veteran Chris Stratton called it.
“He throws 100, I throw 100, and no one else has to worry about doing it,” Hicks said. “We kind of give each other our own medicine.