Hicks (neck/arm) had a strong bullpen session Friday and is on track to be activated from the 15-day injured list prior to the end of the regular season, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Hicks appears set for a fairly minimal stay after hitting the IL on Sept. 17. The 26-year-old right-hander had a 4.87 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 20.1 innings between the start of August and when he was shelved with fatigue and neck spasms, so he's likely to slot into a mid-leverage role once he's ready to go. Assuming he doesn't have a setback in the next couple of days, he'll likely have time to appear in one regular-season game before the postseason begins.