2 months agoAccording to Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Dispatch, St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect
Tink Hence (back/lat) will enter spring training without any lingering injuries. Last season, the starting pitcher flashed upside at times but was limited by lingering back and lat injuries. The 22-year-old was able to throw just 79 2/3 innings at Double-A as he missed more than a month of play due to these injuries. However, the No. 2 ranked prospect in the system is expected to be a full-go for spring training. Across these innings, the right-hander posted a strong 2.71 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP. He struck out 109 batters and served up just 26 free passes. This was a significant improvement compared to the 5.47 ERA and the 1.51 WHIP he held at Double-A the previous season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training, as Hence could push for an early season debut if he can stay healthy.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Daniel Guerrero
4 months agoIn moves made to protect some of their better young prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals added right-handers
Tink Hence,
Tekoah Roby and
Matt Svanson and outfielder
Matt Koperniak to their 40-man roster on Tuesday. Hence is the team's most decorated prospect, with MLB Pipeline listing him as their No. 2 prospect. Injuries have been a problem for the 22-year-old, but when healthy, he has displayed promising upside on the mound. The former second-round pick in 2020 had a nice 2.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 109 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 79 2/3 innings over 20 starts for Double-A Springfield in 2024. Roby checks in as St. Louis' No. 6 prospect, while Svanson and Koperniak aren't listed among the team's top-30 prospects. All four of the young players cannot be claimed in the Rule 5 draft now by other organizations.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
7 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect
Tink Hence tossed four more shutout innings for Double-A Springfield on Wednesday. Hence, the club's top pitching prospect went four innings and allowed three hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts. With his performance, it marks the third straight start that he has not allowed a run. Hence continues to be limited with innings, as he has been recovering from being sidelined with general soreness, but has been impressive with a 2.67 ERA to go along with 94 strikeouts in 70 2/3 innings over 17 starts. Hence, 22, continues to take steps forward for the Cardinals, but he will need to build up more stamina to take to be a starting pitcher long term. With his impressive arsenal that includes a fastball that can reach 99 MPH, Hence has all the makings of a strong starting pitcher, but he will need to show he has the stamina to continue in that role versus being moved to the bullpen long term.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
8 months agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitching prospect
Tink Hence has continued to increase his workload since returning to the bump on July 27. Hence was sidelined for just over a month due to general tightness. However, in his first handful of appearances, the right-hander was only tasked to record a few outs and slowly increase his pitch count. On Wednesday evening, the top prospect in St. Louis reached four innings for the first time since his injury. In this outing he looked very sharp as he served up just one hit while striking out six batters. Since returning, the 22-year-old has posted a strong 1.50 ERA and a 0.58 WHIP. Hence, he could finally be nearing the end of his recovery plan and could reach the five-inning mark in his next start. Throughout the summer, Hence has been one of the better pitchers at Double-A, posting a solid 2.84 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP through 66 innings of work.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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