Hence will begin the season on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis with a right rib cage strain, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's not clear how much time Hence might miss, but the good news is that the injury isn't related to his pitching arm. The 22-year-old has some of the best stuff in all of the minors but has struggled to stay healthy, having never reached 100 innings in a season. Hence posted a 2.71 ERA and 109:26 K:BB over 79.2 frames at Double-A Springfield in 2024.

The Cardinals optioned Hence to Double-A Springfield on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander is one of the organization's top prospects and was added to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Hence was limited to 79.2 innings last season at Springfield due to back and lat discomfort, but he was dominant when available with a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 109:26 K:BB. Returning to the Double-A level is a bit of a surprise, and it shouldn't be long before he's bumped up to Triple-A Memphis.

Hence will enter spring training without limitations after he threw just 79.2 innings in 2024 due to back and right lat discomfort, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hence had to be pulled early from a couple starts in June and then missed nearly a month around midseason due to the injury. He also exited his final outing of the season with another injury, although it's unclear if the same back/lat issue was the culprit. Durability is the only real negative with Hence's outlook, as he also missed time in 2023 with tightness in his chest and neck area. The 22-year-old was superb in 2024 when on the mound, posting a 2.71 ERA and 109:26 K:BB over 79.2 frames with Double-A Springfield. Hence was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster this offseason and should begin 2025 in the rotation at Triple-A Memphis.

Hence (chest) was activated from the minor-league injured list Thursday at High-A Peoria.

EDGE Analysis

Hence is scheduled to return to Peoria's starting rotation Friday after missing nearly a full month due to chest tightness. It sounds like the Cardinals were mostly playing things cautiously with the 20-year-old top pitching prospect, who has delivered a sparkling 2.12 ERA and 103:21 K:BB through his first 68 professional innings. He had logged two scoreless starts this season in High-A ball before landing on the IL.

Hence (chest) is expected to return to the rotation at High-A Peoria on Friday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hence has been on the minor-league injured list since mid-April due to chest tightness. The 20-year-old top prospect logged two starts with Peoria before hitting the shelf, working 7.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. He pitched to a brilliant 1.38 ERA and 81:15 K:BB over 52.1 innings last summer at Low-A Palm Beach.

Hence, who has been on the 7-day injured list at High-A Peoria, avoided serious injury after being bothered by chest tightness and could be activated soon, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's good to hear that Hence was dealing with a chest issue rather than an elbow or shoulder issue. He has not pitched since April 13 and was expected to throw high-intensity bullpen sessions this week. If he has remained on his scheduled throwing program, Hence could be activated in the first half of May.

Hence (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list Tuesday at High-A Peoria.

EDGE Analysis

Hence was pulled from his second start of the year last Thursday at Peoria after throwing a wild pitch and then promptly getting a visit from the training staff. There is no update as to the exact nature of the injury. It was downplayed initially and he had been scheduled to throw off a mound this week. The 20-year-old right-hander is a top-ranked prospect in the Cardinals' system.

Hence (undisclosed) exited his start at High-A Peoria with trainers Thursday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hence worked 3.2 innings before athletic trainers visited him on the mound. He subsequently exited, though the nature of the injury is currently unclear.

Hence was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Cardinals on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Hence was a bit wild but overall very impressive during his first major-league camp. The Cards have been very careful with the 20-year-old's workload and that should continue with a likely move up to High-A Peoria to start the 2023 season.

Hence wrapped the 2022 campaign at Single-A Palm Beach with a 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 81:15 K:BB over 52.1 innings (16 starts).

EDGE Analysis

While the 2020 second-round pick was treated with kid gloves by the Cardinals this year after pitching just eight innings in 2021, he looked incredible when he was out there. It's likely going to take several years for Hence to ramp up to a major-league workload, but the upside here is sky high.