WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It was about an hour before Tink Hence was supposed to head to the Cardinals' backfields at the club’s complex in Jupiter, Florida, to throw two innings of live batting practice when pitching coach Dusty Blake let the right-handed pitching prospect know his Monday work plans had changed.
Hence, 21, was told he’d be pitching in ºüÀêÊÓƵ’ road game against the Nationals instead. He didn’t hesitate to let Blake know he’d be ready.
“I was like, ‘OK, bet,’†Hence recalled.
Slotting into fellow prospect Cooper Hjerpe’s originally scheduled two innings after Hjerpe experienced a stomach illness, Hence delivered two scoreless frames of relief and collected two strikeouts in the Cardinals’ 1-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Nationals at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. The pair of innings gave Hence four scoreless innings and five strikeouts over four innings of Grapefruit League play to begin his spring.
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“I’m just hungry and ready to go pitch,†said Hence, who had not pitched in a game since Feb. 25. “I enjoy being on the field. I feel like that’s where I’m happiest. Just being able to get out there any chance I can, I mean, it’s just a blessing.â€
Hence entered Monday’s ballgame to begin the sixth inning. His first test came against Washington’s hot-hitting outfield prospect James Wood, who came into the day with three home runs and a .500 average in his first 16 at-bats of spring. The Cardinals prospect got Wood to pop up to shortstop Masyn Winn and induced the same result vs. Jesse Winker before he found himself with runners on the corners and two outs in the frame after Joey Menses reached first on an error and advanced to third base on a Keibert Ruiz single to right field in the following at-bat.
Hence got a swinging strikeout of Nick Senzel to end the frame, then followed that with a scoreless seventh inning that ended with a swinging strikeout against Victor Robles.
“He did a nice job,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “The fastball, (he) used it well. Obviously, the (velocity) was there — hit some 98s and used it at the top at times. Mixed in a couple of sliders. I think only one curveball and then mixed in some changeups. But again, just in control.â€
That includes control of his mental preparation.
“Just being ready for anything,†Hence said of the schedule change. “It’s been like eight days since I’ve been out on a mound so it’s just being ready to get out there and just ready to work on what I’ve been trying to work on. … I quickly had to change my mindset on things that I was going to try to do for the day. But I mean, it’s just going out there and still just treating it like practice, to be honest. Kind of just trying to get everything under control and really just go compete.â€
Back as a non-roster invitee to big league camp for the second time in his career, Hence entered this spring coming off a 2023 minor league season that included a promotion to Double-A, a trip to the All-Star Futures game, a career-high in innings with 96, and some struggles.
Following some positive results in his first month with Class AA Springfield, Hence allowed 25 runs in 20 1/3 innings across August. It was during that stretch that Hence allowed a .369 average to opposing hitters and issued 13 walks after posting a 2.25 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in four starts before that.
At the Cardinals’ annual Winter Warm-up in January, the 21-year-old described his summer struggles as a time during which he couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t effective. He used his winter to work with former big league pitcher Marvin Freeman, whom Hence met as a preps athlete and has worked with since. With Freeman’s help during their training in Atlanta, Georgia, Hence was able to fix mechanical issues and correct a timing issue with his back leg and load position that in turn corrected his arm slot and allowed him to get more effective and consistent use of his pitch arsenal.
Since spring training has begun, Hence says the adjustments have “definitely†shown results while in big league camp.
So too has his composure.
“In spring training, a lot of times you get out there and you want to do too much or try to show people what you’re made of, but it’s really just fine-tuning and knowing what type of player I am and slowing that heart down and just competing,†Hence said. “I feel like whenever I’m just at ease and not really thinking too much and going out being me, that’s when I’m at my best.â€
Crawford continues ramp-up
For the second consecutive day, recently signed shortstop Brandon Crawford took part in live batting practice on the Cardinals complex backfields. Crawford faced left-hander Drew Rom on Monday, who was making up for the innings he didn’t get on Sunday because of a rain-canceled game against the Marlins.
Crawford took four at-bats during Monday’s session as he continues prepare for game action.
Extra Bases
- Ivan Herrera, who has been held back from game action because of a left shoulder issue, continued to take swings on Monday. Herrera took batting practice and live batting practice at-bats against Rom.
- With their 1-0 loss on Monday, the Cardinals have been shutout twice in their last five games and have scored nine runs in their last seven exhibition games of spring.
- Former Cardinal Albert Pujols reported on Monday to Angels spring training in Tempe, Arizona, as a guest instructor. Pujols is in the second year of serving a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract that was a part of the slugger’s 10-year deal he signed with the Halos in December 2011.
Nationals 1, Cardinals 0
ºüÀêÊÓƵ ab r h bi Wash. ab r h bi
Donovan dh 3 0 0 0 Thomas rf 2 1 0 0
Rivas ph-dh 1 0 0 0 Hassell rf 1 0 0 0
Walker rf 2 0 0 0 Wood lf 3 0 1 0
Koperniak rf 1 0 1 0 Jac.Young lf 0 0 0 0
Gorman 2b 3 0 0 0 Winker dh 2 0 0 0
Gamboa 2b 1 0 0 0 Green ph 1 0 0 0
Arenado 3b 3 0 1 0 Mneses 1b 3 0 1 0
FermÃn 3b 1 0 0 0 DÃaz pr-1b 1 0 0 0
Contreras c 2 0 1 0 Ruiz c 2 0 1 1
Raposo c 2 0 1 0 Millas pr-c 0 0 0 0
Crpenter 1b 3 0 0 0 Senzel 3b 3 0 0 0
L.Baker 1b 1 0 1 0 House 3b 0 0 0 0
Prieto pr 0 0 0 0 GarcÃa 2b 3 0 1 0
Burleson lf 3 0 0 0 D.Baker 2b 0 0 0 0
Gómez lf 1 0 0 0 Vargas ss 3 0 1 0
Winn ss 3 0 0 0 Nunez ss 0 0 0 0
Saggese ss 0 0 0 0 Robles cf 3 0 0 0
Scott cf 3 0 1 0 Crews cf 0 0 0 0
Siani cf 0 0 0 0
Totals 33 0 6 0 Totals 27 1 5 1
ºüÀêÊÓƵ 000 000 000 — 0
Washington 000 100 00x — 1
E: Contreras (1), Winn (1), Ruiz (1), Crews (1). DP: ºüÀêÊÓƵ 2, Washington 0. LOB: ºüÀêÊÓƵ 7, Washington 6. 2B: Contreras (1). SB: Thomas (1), Jac.Young (1). SF: Ruiz (1).
ºüÀêÊÓƵ IP H R ER BB SO
S.Gray 12/3 1 0 0 0 1
Leahy 1/3 0 0 0 0 1
Matz 1 0 0 0 0 2
Romero L,0-1 1 1 1 1 2 2
Gallegos 1 1 0 0 0 2
Hence 2 2 0 0 0 2
Loutos 1 0 0 0 1 1
Washington
Williams 2 1 0 0 0 3
Rainey 1 1 0 0 1 2
Law W,1-0 1 1 0 0 0 2
Bleier H,1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Gsellman H,1 1 0 0 0 0 1
Barnes H,1 1 1 0 0 0 1
Perdomo H,1 1 1 0 0 0 0
La Sorsa S,1-1 1 1 0 0 0 0
WP: Rainey. T: 2:15. Att: 2,694 (6,500).