Hicks (elbow) remains on track to be healthy by some point in July, but his timeline for a return could be affected by multiple factors, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
To begin with, there would naturally have to be a season already underway by midsummer for Hicks to return to. However, beyond that obvious prerequisite, the hard-throwing right-hander will also need ongoing access to hitters to facilitate the on-field portion of his rehabilitation program. How that would come about is also up in the air, considering the minor-league season could be wiped out entirely this year. Such a development would likely lead to significantly expanded major-league rosters that would include a healthy helping of minor-league players, or perhaps a convening of such players in some other setting that Hicks could gain access to. Therefore, depending on the timing of a re-start of on-field activity, Hicks may realistically not be prepared to pitch in a regular-season game until later in the summer or early fall.