Hence was promoted to Double-A Springfield on Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The 20-year-old righty missed a month early in the year with chest/oblique tightness, but he still made 11 starts with High-A Peoria, logging a 2.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 46:12 K:BB in 41.2 innings. The last-place Cardinals haven't gotten much consistent production from their rotation members, outside of Jordan Montgomery, but it would still be a stretch for Hence to climb to the big leagues this season. If he stays healthy, he should figure prominently into the 2024 rotation mix.