JUPITER, Fla. • While some of the players found out early Sunday morning before the bus left for Viera, Fla., and that afternoon's game, the first cuts of Cardinals spring training weren't official until Sunday evening.

Nine players, including lefty Jayson Aquino, were trimmed from the roster and sent back to minor-league camp. Aquino was the only one of the nine on the 40-man roster and thus optioned to a minor-league roster.

The others were reassigned.

In addition the Aquino, the following players were moved to the minor-league side of the Cardinals' campus: pitchers Corey Littrell, Trey Nielson, Daniel Poncedeleon, J.C. Sulbaran and Luke Weaver; and catchers Steve Bean, Luis Cruz and Alberto Rosario.

Minor-league camp began this past week and there will be more innings available to pitchers and playing time for catchers there.

Poncedeleon, a righthander, got the win in Saturday's victory against the Houston Astros. Weaver pitched a strong ninth inning Sunday afternoon against the Washington Nationals to maintain a 4-4 tie.

Littrell is the lefty the Cardinals' acquired in the 2014 trade with the Boston Red Sox that also netted them veteran John Lackey.