Cardinals Designate Tink Hence for Assignment to Promote Quinn Mathews

Roster Shuffle Brings Quinn Mathews to the Majors

The St. Louis organization cleared space on the roster by removing Hence, allowing the club to officially select the contract of Quinn Mathews from Triple-A Memphis. Mathews, another highly regarded young arm, takes the roster spot just in time to make his MLB debut in today’s start against the Blue Jays.

To make room for Mathews on the active 26-man roster, the Cardinals optioned right-hander Matt Svanson down to Triple-A Memphis. While Mathews steps directly into a major league starting assignment, Hence now finds himself in professional limbo as the team evaluates its pitching depth.

Struggles at Triple-A Memphis and Injury History

Once viewed as one of the organization’s crown jewels, Hence entered professional baseball as a second-round draft pick in the 2020 draft. He maintained top-100 prospect status as recently as 2025. However, injuries over the past couple of years have significantly hampered his trajectory. The right-hander has battled a lat strain, chest tightness, and shoulder problems.

In an effort to manage his health, the Cardinals utilized Hence primarily as a reliever at Triple-A Memphis this season. The transition did not go smoothly. Across 20 1/3 innings in his first stint at the Triple-A level, Hence struggled to a 6.64 ERA and ballooned an 18.2% walk rate, according to reporting by Mlbtraderumors.

Control issues and trouble keeping the ball in the park plagued his brief time in Memphis, where he surrendered four home runs. Despite those rocky minor league numbers, major league evaluators still see lingering upside in the young arm.

Prospect Rankings and Trade Deadline Outlook

Despite falling off the 40-man roster, Hence still commands respect on organizational lists. Both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline rank him 28th among St. Louis prospects.

Because Hence will not turn 24 until later in the week, other front offices are expected to take a serious look at his potential. If a deal fails to materialize, another organization with an open 40-man roster spot will likely claim him to test whether their internal pitching lab can help him rediscover his previous form. Speculation points toward clubs like the Angels—where interim general manager John Mozeliak, who originally ran the St. Louis front office when Hence was drafted, might hold lingering interest.