Blue Jays pick up closer Jordan Hicks, with regular stopper Romano on injured list

Right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

Right-handed pitching prospects Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse were sent to St. Louis in return.

The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

The deal was the Blue Jays' second with the Cardinals in a little over a week as Toronto picked up lefty reliever Genesis Cabrera from St. Louis on July 21.

A five-year veteran who had spent his entire career with the Cardinals, Hicks is 1-6 with a 3.67 earned-run average and eight saves in 11 chances. The hard-throwing Hicks has struck out 59 batters in 41 2/3 innings while walking 24.

Toronto put closer Jordan Romano on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a sore back. Romano left the July 11 all-star game in Seattle because of back pain and did not pitch for the Blue Jays again until July 20. He left with two outs in the ninth inning of Friday's 4-1 win over the Angels and was replaced by Yimi Garcia.

The Blue Jays lost Sunday's series finale when Garcia, who was pitching for the third straight day, gave up Hunter Renfroe's two-run homer in the 10th. It was the first time this season Garcia had pitched on three consecutive days.

Toronto could get more relief help when right-hander Chad Green returns from Tommy John surgery. Green, who had elbow surgery last May, signed a two-year, $8.5 million US contract with Toronto in January and probably will be ready by mid-August.

The former New York Yankee made his third rehab appearance with class-A Dunedin on Saturday and is expected to move to triple-A Buffalo next.

Kloffenstein was 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA in 17 starts at double-A New Hampshire. Robberse, who is from the Netherlands, was 3-5 with a 4.06