Tink Hence
23-Year-Old
St. Louis Cardinals Rookie
2026 Stats
W-L
0-0
ERA
0.00
WHIP
0.00
K
0
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2026 Fantasy Outlook
The writing has been on the wall for multiple years that Hence can't handle a starter's workload, and he was limited to 21.1 innings in 2025 due to a ribcage strain that delayed his start to the season and an undisclosed injury that ended his season in July. He still missed bats when he pitched (27.9 K%) but his control was the worst it has ever been (15.1 BB%) and there are more reasons than ever to expect Hence to end up in the Cardinals bullpen long term, assuming his arm holds up for that role. The slight 6-foot-1 righty has had trouble putting good weight on his body and he is already on the 40-man roster despite never pitching at Triple-A. The new Cardinals regime may not pull the plug on Hence as a starter right away in 2026, but for planning purposes in dynasty leagues, his clearest path to providing fantasy value is as the team's closer in 2027 or 2028, but it's probably more likely he needs a major arm surgery before then. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals in March of 2026.
Demoted to FCL
Hence was demoted to the Cardinals' Florida Complex League roster Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis
Hence has posted an 8.64 ERA and 7:9 K:BB over 8.1 innings while working out of the bullpen at Triple-A Memphis. In his most recent outing, the righty averaged just 89.6 mph with his four-seamer and 90.2 mph with his sinker, with both pitches reflecting considerable drops in velocity. Hence will work on things in a less pressurized environment before likely rejoining the Memphis roster at a later date.
Hence has posted an 8.64 ERA and 7:9 K:BB over 8.1 innings while working out of the bullpen at Triple-A Memphis. In his most recent outing, the righty averaged just 89.6 mph with his four-seamer and 90.2 mph with his sinker, with both pitches reflecting considerable drops in velocity. Hence will work on things in a less pressurized environment before likely rejoining the Memphis roster at a later date.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2025
2024
2023
It's generally good process to bet against young, undersized pitchers who throw really hard and have a mounting list of arm injuries. Hence, a 6-foot-1 righty with a mid-90s fastball, was unable to top his career-high 96 innings from 2023 due to nagging shoulder issues in 2024, and even in 2023, his production fell off a cliff as he wore down in the second half. Ignoring the injury and durability red flags, the rest of Hence's outlook is straightforward: he's got great stuff, a deep arsenal, and starter-level command. Now on the 40-man roster and exhibiting clear signs of fragility, it would make sense for the Cardinals to use his bullets in the big leagues as soon as they think he's ready, and that could be in the first half of 2025 if his arm and shoulder cooperate. It also wouldn't be surprising at all if Hence's arm was barking in spring training and he ended up needing elbow or shoulder surgery, so proceed with caution.
More Fantasy News
Optioned to Memphis
The Cardinals optioned Hence to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis
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Likely shifting to relief role
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Wednesday that Hence will remain on a reliever's schedule for the remainder of spring training, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Analysis
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Making spring debut Tuesday
Hence will make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Analysis
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Will remain starter for now
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that moving Hence to a relief role is not something that has been "truly discussed at the moment," Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis
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Role change considered
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Wednesday that the team has had internal conversations about whether to move Hence from a starting role to relief pitching, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Should join 40-man roster
Hence, who was dealing with an undisclosed injury at the end of the season, is expected to be added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Analysis
The right-hander is one of St. Louis' top prospects, so it would be a major surprise if the organization leaves him unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft. Hence posted a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 109:26 K:BB across 79.2 innings with Double-A Springfield in 2024, and he could make his MLB debut at some point next year.
The right-hander is one of St. Louis' top prospects, so it would be a major surprise if the organization leaves him unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft. Hence posted a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 109:26 K:BB across 79.2 innings with Double-A Springfield in 2024, and he could make his MLB debut at some point next year.