Cardinals No. 3 Prospect Dazzles in Double-A Return
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Cardinals No. 3 Prospect Dazzles in Double-A Return
St. Louis Cardinals No. 3 prospect Tink Hence made his first start with Double-A Springfield on Friday night after being activated from the 60-day injured list earlier in the week. The 22-year-old held the Corpus Christi Hooks hitless, allowing just one baserunner on a walk while striking out eight batters in 4 1/3 innings of work. He only reached 96 miles per hour twice with his four-seamer sitting in the low 90’s for the majority of the start.
St. Louis Cardinals No. 3 prospect Tink Hence made his first start with Double-A Springfield on Friday night after being activated from the 60-day injured list earlier in the week.
Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
The 22-year-old held the Houston Astros’ Double-A affiliated Corpus Christi Hooks hitless, allowing just one baserunner on a walk while striking out eight batters in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Hence was limited to just 66 pitches in his first start since being activated, but he was efficient on the mound.
Notably, the once-flame thrower’s velocity was rather slow compared to what he was hitting on the radar gun last season. He only reached 96 miles per hour twice with his four-seamer sitting in the low 90’s for the majority of the start – a large contrast from last year when he was consistently pitching in the high 90’s while occasionally touching 100-plus.
St. Louis Cardinals No. 3 prospect Tink Hence.Rich Storry-Imagn Images
The drop in pitch speed could potentially be due to a new mechanical approach that Hence is taking on the bump.
Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
“I was kind of getting a little stiff on the mound (before the injury), so (I’ve) just been working on getting more athletic again,” Hence told reporters on Thursday.
The work seems to have blossomed into a new stance – and possibly a higher arm slot – on the mound, one in which the righty is more upright and less bent over while throwing pitches.
“It was a really good reset for me to really learn (about) myself as a pitcher,” Hence said of the lengthy IL stint. “I think it’s paying off.”
The belief around the Springfield organization is that Hence will make just a few more “prove it” starts before being promoted back to Triple-A Memphis, where he was slated to start the year prior to his injury.
Advertisement
Advertisement Advertisement
Related: Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt Talks Development, More in Exclusive Interview
Related: MLB Announces Major Yadier Molina News on Wednesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Source: https://athlonsports.com/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cardinals-no-3-prospect-dazzles-in-double-a-return