St. Louis, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals have added right-handed pitchers Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby (tuh-KOH-uh), and Matt Svanson (SVON-suhn), along with outfielder Matt Koperniak (koh-PUR-nee-ack), to their 40-man roster. This move protects these players from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft and brings the Cardinals’ roster to 39 players.
Tink Hence: Hence, 22, was the Cardinals’ Competitive Balance Round B selection (63rd overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft. Named the 2024 Texas League Pitcher of the Year, he is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Cardinals organization entering the 2025 season by Baseball America. In 2024, Hence made 20 starts at Double-A Springfield, posting a 4-3 record with a 2.71 ERA and 109 strikeouts over 79.2 innings. His 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings led the Texas League among pitchers with at least 60 innings. He also started one of the Cardinals’ Spring Breakout games during the 2024 Grapefruit League schedule.
Tekoah Roby: Roby, 23, was acquired from the Texas Rangers in a 2023 trade that sent LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Chris Stratton to Texas. A 2023 Arizona Fall League All-Star, Roby was a 2020 third-round pick by the Rangers out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida. In 2024, he made 10 starts between Palm Beach (A) and Springfield (AA) while recovering from a right shoulder injury. Roby is rated as the No. 6 prospect in the Cardinals organization entering the 2025 season by Baseball America.
Matt Koperniak: Koperniak, 27, was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent out of Division 3 Trinity College in Connecticut in 2020. Born in the United Kingdom, Koperniak represented Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Since beginning his professional career in 2021, Koperniak leads all minor league players with a .298 career batting average and led the International League with 143 hits in 2024 while playing for Triple-A Memphis.
Matt Svanson: Svanson, 25, was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for INF Paul DeJong at the 2023 trade deadline. The right-handed reliever posted a 4-3 record with a 2.69 ERA and led the 2024 Texas League with 53 appearances and 27 saves. Since joining the Cardinals, Svanson has converted 32 consecutive save opportunities and 38 straight dating back to May 2023, the longest active streak in Minor League Baseball.
Additionally, left-handed pitcher Drew Rom cleared waivers and was outrighted to Memphis, remaining in the organization as a minor league player.
Following these transactions, the Cardinals’ Major League roster now includes 39 players.
