Liam Hicks

Hicks was clipped by DL Hall when leading off the sixth inning. He stayed in the game to run the bases for himself and caught another two innings but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. The 27-year-old backstop ensures that he’ll be available for Game 3 on Monday in Tampa Bay.

Hicks extended the Rays’ lead to 4-0, and it came in the first inning on a two-run homer off Logan Henderson. The Rays wouldn’t score another run, and Hicks was thrown out at home plate on a send that was at best aggressive and at (accurately) worst insane. Hicks has been able to drive in eight runs thus far in the postseason, and he’ll try and add to that total in a must-win game for the Rays on Monday in Game 3.

It’s the first time in the series that Hicks has hit higher than fifth, though he mostly hit in the top four during the regular season. The lineup: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Liam Hicks (C), Junior Caminero (3B), Chandler Simpson (LF), Victor Mesa Jr. (RF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Richie Palacios (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).

Hicks made it a 3-0 game with his two-run single off Parker Messick in the fourth. Hicks usually sits against lefties and didn’t start Game 1 against Foster Griffin, but he delivered in a rare opportunity tonight. He was 4-for-24 with one extra-base hit versus southpaws over the final two months of the regular season after being acquired from the Marlins.

The Rays have faced three lefties in a row, and Hicks started the middle game of the three while sitting tonight and on Wednesday. Nick Fortes will be out there at catcher.

Hicks put the Rays on the board with a leadoff homer in the second inning off Brandon Young. After a lineout in the fourth, he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth with a left-handed reliever on the mound. The 27-year-old backstop has enjoyed a breakout campaign, hitting .283/.371/.446 with 17 homers, 62 runs scored, and 72 RBI across 465 plate appearances.

Nick Fortes will get a day-game-after-a-night-game start against RHP Shane Bieber. Since being acquired by the Rays, Hicks has almost exclusively played catcher — he has just one start at first base and stayed in the game as a pinch-hitter twice as a catcher alongside 10 starts at catcher.

Hicks’ homers are rarely bombs, but he drilled a Jack Perkins pitch 401 feet to right center today. It was the fourth time in 830 career plate appearances that he’d hit a ball 400 feet. Hicks is batting .308/.438/.654 with two homers and nine RBI in eight games since joining the Rays.

After hitting into a ground out in his first at-bat, Hicks’ second at-bat came with the bases loaded in the third inning. He cleared them all with a grand slam to right field off Gabriel Hughes. Hicks later added a double in the sixth. The 27-year-old is hitting .285/.366/.444 with 15 homers, 55 runs scored, and 66 RBI across 414 plate appearances.

Hicks draws an extremely favorable setting for his Tampa Bay debut since he’ll have the opportunity to do some damage in Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment. The 27-year-old backstop qualifies as one of the Rays’ biggest trade deadline swings in several years and should help fortify the middle of their lineup heading towards the home stretch. He was hitting 282/.363/.432 with 14 homers and 62 RBI across 409 plate appearances for the Marlins prior to the trade.

The 27-year-old Hicks, who won’t be a free agent until after 2030, is probably overachieving some at .282/.363/.432 as a sophomore this year, but he’ll still provide a nice lift over the Rays’ catching duo of Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes. Since Hicks and Feduccia are lefty hitters and Fortes is a righty, it’s Feduccia who would seem to be in line for a demotion. No official word yet on whether the Marlins will promote Agustín Ramírez. They already had Brian Navarette up as a third catcher with Hicks often DHing, so they could pick someone else if they don’t see Ramírez getting enough playing time as a DH and backup to Joe Mack.

Brayden Taylor is one of three prospects Miami is getting back, says Will Sammon. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman says Adrian Santana and Jacob Kisting are the other two. The Marlins didn’t have a dire need for Hicks as a catcher following Joe Mack’s emergence, so this makes a ton of sense. The Rays will probably send down fellow left-handed-hitting catcher Hunter Feduccia and keep Nick Fortes as Hicks’ backup. The Marlins could recall Agustín Ramírez to DH and play behind Mack.

Hicks is enjoying a breakout season at the dish, slashing .283/.364/.434 with 14 homers and 62 RBI across 405 plate appearances. Rosenthal notes that the Yankees, while in the market for a catcher, are not among the teams interested in Hicks as they would prefer a catcher that bats from the right side.

Feinsand adds that the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Rangers and Dodgers are among teams looking to acquire a catcher. Hicks is absolutely a name to watch at next week’s deadline after the Marlins bizarre 12-game losing streak, which they finally snapped with a comeback win over the Phillies on Monday, caused them to tumble out of playoff contention. The 27-year-old backstop has put together an excellent season with a .796 OPS with 14 homers and 60 RBI through 95 games. Miami has rookie defensive wizard Joe Mack seemingly entrenched behind the dish, which makes Hicks expendable in the right deal.

Hicks drew a walk in the first inning, then knocked a base hit in the fifth. He then singled in the seventh to reach for a third time and drive in the team’s only run in the game. The 27-year-old backstop is hitting .289/.362/.459 with 13 homers, 50 runs scored, and 58 RBI across 338 plate appearances.

Hicks is getting a breather against LHP Parker Messick despite starting Miami’s last game against a left-hander. It appears the Marlins will platoon him at times. Hicks is hitting .333/.356/.381 in 45 plate appearances since returning from the injured list at the end of June.

Just two days off the injured list, Hicks has notched two hits in each game since he’s returned. It must be nice to return from a 10-day layoff in Coors Field and immediately get your confidence back. He’s slotted right back into the top third of the Marlins’ lineup and remains a high batting average run producer.

It’s phenomenal timing for fantasy purposes as Hicks returns to Miami’s lineup for Tuesday’s showdown against the Rockies at high-octane Coors Field. The 27-year-old has been one of the most impactful backstops in fantasy this season, hitting .278/.359/.472 with a career-high 13 home runs, 53 RBI and one steal in 288 plate appearances through 73 games before requiring a trip to the injured list with a lower back strain on June 20. His return should add some additional thunder to the heart of the Marlins order.

Tuesday is the first day that Hicks can be activated from the injured list for his lower back inflammation. On Saturday, the Marlins said he was participating in full baseball activities and had no issues with swinging. There have been no updates since then, but if Hicks didn’t suffer any setbacks, then he should be able to return to join the team in Colorado.

Hicks was sent for precautionary imaging that came back clean after hitting the injured list with a back strain over the weekend. The 27-year-old slugging backstop is likely to miss at least a couple weeks, but doesn’t appear to be facing an extended absence.