Cardinals' first batch of spring training demotions is a bummer for familiar faces

Spring Training is in full swing, and while some organizations are bidding farewell to a few players for the World Baseball Classic, the St. Louis Cardinals sent 11 players out of big league camp. Most of the players being moved were expected to be sent elsewhere eventually, but three of the players changing locations show how far they still have to go to be major league-ready.

Zack Thompson, Tekoah Roby, and Sem Robberse were among the 11 sent away from Cardinals big league camp.

As coaches decrease the number of players in camp so they can give certain players more attention or provide more playing time for those in a competition, the majority of re-assignments from the first roster trim saw pitchers that had very little chance of making the team. In the early days and weeks of camp, organizations have over 100 players taking parts in drills and games all around the spring training complex, but as the season approaches, teams will start cutting down that list to inch closer to the Opening Day 26-man roster.

In order to start sorting through competitions, the Cardinals re-assigned pitchers Sem Robberse and Zack Thompson to minor league camp while Tekoah Roby was optioned to Memphis. All three of these players are battling their way back from injury concerns and, with these moves, are not necessarily close to returning to full game action. Robberse underwent Tommy John surgery last May, so a June target may be an expectation, but the Cardinals could play it slow with his rehab to make sure he is fully healthy. Thompson, a former first-round pick, underwent arthroscopic surgery in the offseason and has not been cleared for full pitching off of a mound. Roby, whom the Cardinals received from the Rangers in exchange for Jordan Montgomery, also had Tommy John, but was a couple of months behind Robberse. That delay means he will likely miss the entire 2026 season.

Thompson and Robberse are closer to a return but still face an uphill battle to making their way back to Busch Stadium this season. Thompson, if he is fully healthy, could be ready to compete for a lefty bullpen role as the Cardinals need to sort through their southpaw relief options behind JoJo Romero. Once Romero is traded, there will be at least two spots up for the taking with the opportunity to push for a late-inning role.

Outside of that trio, the other eight re-assigned featured switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and lefty Ixan Henderson. We did get to see (or hear) Cijntje pitch in a game before the switch, throwing a right-handed inning as he appears to just be throwing with his left hand in the bullpen between starts. In Henderson's case, he was a name to keep an eye on this spring after a great 2025 campaign, but an injury of his own made any Opening Day roster push unlikely.

After this first wave of roster trimming, the Cardinals now have 57 players on their Spring Training roster. With the World Baseball Classic beginning, a handful of those players will be heading to the tournament, leaving the door open for others to grab some meaningful playing time in front of the major league staff.