Adversity is a crucial part of any athlete’s development. The road to the pros is bound to have its share of potholes, and how a player responds to those challenges often determines their chances of success.
For St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Tekoah Roby, the 2024 season was riddled with setbacks – injuries, inconsistency, and a few rough outings that tested both his mechanics and his mentality. But so far in 2025, Roby has shown that he didn’t just survive last year’s potholes, he learned how to steer right through them.
Roby made a total of just 10 starts in 2024, as he dealt initially with a back issue, then suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of action for over three months. He recently made his 10th start for Double-A Springfield, beating the Frisco RoughRiders 3-1 on June 4 to improve to 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.
Two days later, the Cardinals announced that Roby was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May. Then on Monday, Roby was promoted to Triple-A Memphis, and he is scheduled to make his debut with the team tonight against the Gwinnett Stripers.
"Just being able to take the ball when I do, when my turn comes up in the rotation, it's been fun," Roby said after his final Double-A start. "It allows you to build confidence not only in your ability to pitch but also your ability to stay healthy."
Currently ranked No. 11 among Cardinals prospects, Roby has added a slider and changeup to his fastball/curveball combo to his repertoire. With improved command on all of his pitches, Roby struck out 57 batters with just 11 walks in 47 Double-A innings.
“While his recent production comes as no surprise to those that know TK as a worker, we are thrilled that he is experiencing in-game success,” Cardinals Director of Player Development Larry Day stated in a press release.
Quinn Mathews Returns to Memphis; Tink Hence Continues Progress
Roby joins a Memphis Redbirds rotation that recently welcomed back left-hander Quinn Mathews (No. 2 prospect), who missed about a month with shoulder stiffness. Mathews has made two starts for Memphis since his return, including a 4-1 win over the Indianapolis Indians on Friday, as Mathews gave up an unearned run on five hits and no walks with six strikeouts over 5.0 innings.
They could soon be joined by 22-year-old right-hander Tink Hence (No. 3), who continues working back from the right rib cage strain that put him on the 60-day injured list at the start of the season.
In four rehab assignment appearances, Hence has not allowed a run over 7 innings. On Saturday, he gave up one hit with six strikeouts in 2.2 innings for Single-A Palm Beach, and the Cardinals announced a few days later that Hence had been transferred to High-A Peoria.
Comeback Season for Joshua Baez Moves to Springfield
The comeback season continues for outfielder Joshua Baez.
Once included among the Cardinals’ top-30 prospects, Baez fell out of favor after a disappointing 2023 season. But the 21-year-old appears primed for a big leap back onto the list.
In 38 games with High-A Peoria, Baez slashed .317/.404/.483, with eight doubles, four home runs, 24 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Baez earned a promotion to Springfield on May 29 and has been tearing up Double-A pitchers ever since, posting a slash line of .333/.413/.667 with an OPS of 1.080. In 11 games, Baez has four doubles, three homers, 11 RBIs and three stolen bases.
Baez was recently reunited at Springfield with right-handed pitcher Hancel Rincon, who was transferred from Peoria on Monday. Rincon could soon join Baez on the Cardinals top-30 prospects list as well, if his Double-A debut is any indication.
Facing the Tulsa Drillers on Tuesday, Rincon gave up one run on five hits through five innings and matched his career high with eight strikeouts while walking two.
Nathan Church Joins Memphis After Dominant May for Springfield
Among other recent roster moves, outfielder Nathan Church (No. 21) was transferred from Springfield to Memphis on June 3, after a tremendous May that saw him named the Texas League Player of the Month.
The 23-year-old left-handed batter, who was drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, hit six home runs while striking out just seven times in 108 plate appearances in May. Church also had 12 multi-hit games during the month as well as a 10-game hitting streak from May 14-28.
Catcher Rainiel Rodriguez (No. 7), signed as an international free agent in spring of 2024, is continuing his breakout campaign at Single-A Palm Beach after a June 3 promotion.
Rodriguez was named the Cardinals’ Minor League Player of the Month for May after dominating with the Florida Complex League Cardinals, where he slashed .362/.506/.828 with a preposterous 1.334 OPS, slamming seven home runs with 16 RBIs in 19 games. In five games with Palm Beach, Rodriguez has one home run and five RBIs, with a slash line of .200/.238/.400.
After slashing .321/.446/.443 in 29 games with Palm Beach, outfielder Travis Honeyman (No. 24) was promoted to Peoria in late May. The 23-year-old, who was drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft, went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in his High-A debut on May 27, but he had just one at bat the next night before getting injured and being placed on the 7-day IL.
Jason Savacool, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, also earned a promotion from Palm Beach to Peoria. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Savacool went 4-2 with a 1.61 ERA in 11 appearances, 10 of them starts, for Palm Beach.