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          Karabell: Cardinals, Diamondbacks among top bullpen battles to watch

          Hard-throwing righty Jordan Hicks returns to the mix in St. Louis after missing all of 2020. Jimmy Simmons/Icon Sportswire
          • Eric Karabell, ESPN Senior WriterFeb 22, 2021, 06:35 PM
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          From Andre Scrubb to Yimi Garcia, 132 pitchers saved a regular season game during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, but St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jordan Hicks was not one of them. Hicks was on the mend from Tommy John surgery and probably could have pitched, but taking his recovery, his diabetes and the pandemic into account, he sat the season out. Now he is back and the Cardinals, perhaps the leading contender to win the NL Central, have yet to announce formally their intentions at closer.