Cardinals Once-Top Prospect Tink Hence Struggles, Headed to FCL

One of the St. Louis Cardinals' former top prospects is heading down from Triple-A to the Florida Complex League.

Tink Hence, who was at one point the Cardinals' No. 1 overall prospect after Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker graduated from prospect status, is at a crossroads right now. Hence is just 23 years old and was selected in the second round of the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft. He has flashed significant talent down in the minors, but health has been a question for him throughout his professional career to this point. For example, Hence had a 1.38 ERA in 16 starts with Class-A Palm Beach in 2022. In 2025, he had a 2.95 ERA, but made just eight starts.

In Spring Training, the Cardinals shifted Hence from the rotation to the bullpen. He didn't make the big league club out of camp and started the season down in Triple-A. Hence made eight appearances out of the bullpen for Triple-A Memphis and had an 8.64 ERA in 8 1/3 innings pitched.

The Former Cardinals Top Prospect Is Heading Down To The FCL

Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (30). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Things unfortunately haven't gone as planned and now St. Louis is looking for a reset. On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that Hence has been transferred down to the FCL.

"RHP Tink Hence has been transferred from Memphis (AAA) to the FCL," the Cardinals announced. "INF Anyelo Encarnación (A+) & RHP Aaron Holiday (A+) have been placed on the 7-day IL. INF Tre Richardson III (A+) has been reinstated from the Development List."

For the Cardinals, this doesn't impact the big league roster right now, of course. But it's not the greatest news if you're a fan of the club hoping to see the former top prospect in the majors in the near future. Again, this is a 23-year-old we're talking about. The development process down in the minors isn't a straight line. Look at Jordan Walker, for example. He's 23 years old and is in his fourth season in the big leagues. He was good as a rookie, but bounced around and struggled over the last two seasons. Now, he looks like a star.

Hence is still very young. There isn't a reason to give up on him yet. Again, the talent is there. Execution is the question. His command wasn't great in Triple-A with nine walks in 8 1/3 innings pitched. That's not going to cut it. Now, he's going to get an opportunity to try to bounce back with far less pressure. Hopefully, the experiment works.

Add us as a preferred source on Google