Important San Francisco Giants Pitcher Says His Body Has Slowly Declined Recently

A San Francisco Giants starter didn't have great comments after their loss on Thursday.

Jul 3, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks (12) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants were playing much better baseball over the past few weeks, but after losing two straight series, there's certainly a reason to be worried again.

For them to be trusted, the Giants are going to have to prove to the front office and fan base that they have enough in the tank to put together a stretch of high-level play.

It's in there, but there hasn't been any consistency, which a team fighting for a playoff spot needs. It'll be easier to judge them after the All Star break, as they're expected to get healthier in the next few weeks.

If the struggles continue after that, it'll be interesting to see what the front office decides to do at the trade deadline.

However, after Jordan Hicks had another rough start, throwing 4 1/3 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits, there's an area that San Francisco might have to think about improving.

Hicks has a 5.02 ERA ERA over 61 innings since the calendar turned to May, according to Justice Delos Santos of The Mercury News, a discouraging stat.

And what Hicks said to reporters after his outing on Thursday is more discouraging than anything, saying his body has been on a "slow decline."

“I’d say the first half of the first half felt really good,” Hicks said. “(My) body felt great. Then, in the second half of the first half, it’s been a slow decline overall. … I don’t know how to say this without making it sound like an excuse — I just haven’t really had it.”

This is the first season of his career that he's been a full-time starter, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that he's starting to feel different than how he did at the beginning of the year.

While that's somewhat expected, this isn't good for the Giants, as he needs to be the pitcher he was in the first half due to the injuries they've dealt with.

“I feel healthy, but that’s not the thing I’m worried about. It’s just more about overall fatigue,” Hicks said. “I wake up and I’m fine. Get to the start of the game, I feel great. That toll on the body as the third inning creeps around. So, (I’ll) find a way and we’ll develop a plan over the next week or two.”

Hopefully, the All-Star break will give him some time to relax and work on this issue.