Red Sox Won't Wait Long To See Flamethrower In Boston

The Boston Red Sox added some high-end pieces by trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants.

The two biggest pieces of the deal for Boston are flamethrower Jordan Hicks and lefty Kyle Harrison. Neither are currently with the Red Sox at the big league level, but we now know when that might change.

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey revealed that the current expectation is that Hicks will join the team on their next homestand. The homestand begins on June 27th against the Toronto Blue Jays and runs through July 2nd against the Cincinnati Reds.

"Kutter Crawford has been shut down again. Feeling more pain in his wrist. He’s been in Fort Myers but is flying back to Boston for MRI," McCaffrey said. "Jordan Hicks headed on rehab assignment in Worcester tomorrow. Expected to join Red Sox on next homestand."

Hicks has appeared in 13 games so far this season, including nine starts for the Giants and had a 6.47 ERA to show for it. Last year, the Giants moved him from the bullpen to the starting rotation and he had a 4.10 ERA overall in 29 total appearances, including 20 starts.

He began his career as a flamethrowing reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals but was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. When healthy, he has one of the best fastballs in the game. If the Red Sox can get him right, they could end up having the best fastbal combo in the big leagues with him and Aroldis Chapman.