Pirates Claim Angels Pitcher Off Waivers

Darrell-Hicks graduated from South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Ky. and attended Western Kentucky, where he spent five years.

He made 20 appearances both as a freshman in 2017 and a sophomore in 2018, but only made 13 appearances the next three seasons. He missed all of 2019 with an injury and redshirted, only pitched in four games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the season, and appeared in nine games in 2021.

Darrell-Hicks saw his most action in his sixth year of college at Jacksonville in 2022. He started 14 of 15 games he pitched, posting a 4.13 ERA over 72.0 innings pitched and 82 strikeouts to 33 walks.

He went undrafted in 2022 and signed with the Angels on July 26 and pitched in seven games that season with Single-A Inland Empire.

Darrell-Hicks pitched at three different minor league levels in 2023, with Inland Empire, then High-A Tri-City and finally Double-A Rocket City.

He pitched most of the season with Tri-City, starting nine of 13 games, finsihing with a 3.15 ERA over 54.1 innings pitched with 59 strikeouts to 21 walks and an opposing batting average of . 232.

Darrell-Hicks dominated at Double-A in 2024, with a 6-4 record in 30 bullpen appearances, eight saves in 10 opportunities, a 1.73 ERA over 41.2 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts to eight walks and an opposing batting average of .224.

He made it to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 13 and made 10 bullpen appearances, finishing with a 4.35 ERA over 20.5 innings pitched.

Darrell-Hicks struggled in his first three outings with Salt Lake, with a 9.35 ERA, but the Angels still selected his contract on April 6, optioned him to Salt Lake on April 7 and then recalled him on April 11.

He performed poorly in his MLB debut on the same day vs. the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, allowing four earned runs in just one inning pitched.

Darrell-Hicks had better outings the rest of the way, with just one earned run allowed vs. the Astros on April 13. He then had three scoreless outings vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Apirl 16 and both the San Francisco Giants on April 20 and the Pirates on April 22 at Angels Stadium.

The Angels optioned Darrell-Hicks to Salt Lake on April 23, making three bullpen appearances and allowing one run over four innings.

They recalled Darrell-Hicks again on May 3 and he gave up a three-run home run in a 13-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers at home on May 6.

The Angels sent him back to Salt Lake on May 6 and designated him for assignment on June 8, before the Pirates picked him up.