The St. Louis Cardinals were looking to fill out their starting rotation for 2022, and the team revealed its surprising plans for the final rotation spot ahead of Opening Day. According to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cards are planning to utilize flame-throwing pitcher Jordan Hicks as their fifth starter. He'll toe the rubber for the Cardinals in their fifth game of the season against the Kansas City Royals.

While fans might have assumed Hicks would simply be the lead pitcher of a bullpen game or serve as an opener for a long-reliever, that's actually not the case. The Cardinals are reportedly planning to make Hicks a full-time starter in what would we be a drastic change from his former role as the team's closer.

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Hicks has made a name for himself in MLB due to his incredibly strong arm, capable of reaching 103 MPH on the radar gun, and hitting triple-digits with ease. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 which ended his season early, and he didn't feature during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. He made just 10 appearances in 2021 for the Cardinals after returning late into the season. The hard-throwing hurler recorded a 5.40 ERA across 10 innings on the mound, striking out 10 batters and walking as many.

It will be interesting to see how his approach on the mound changes as he transitions into the role of a starting pitcher. Cardinals fans will get their first taste of Hicks in a multi-inning role when he faces off with the Royals on Tuesday, in what will hopefully be a successful start for the 25-year-old.