Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera will be placed on the injured list with a left knee injury, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told ESPN’s Buster Olney during Sunday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox. Marmol said the team was relieved when MRI proved Herrera had no structural injury to his knee.
The St. Louis catcher departed game one of Sunday’s day-night doubleheader in the third inning, hobbling after recording a Luken Baker foul-out.
Herrera had to be helped off the field by his manager, Marmol, and Cardinals head sports trainer, Adam Olsen. Herrera was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he walked off the field and into the Cardinals dugout, according to a footage shown by the St. Louis broadcast after the break.
Herrera had to be helped off the field by his manager, Marmol, and Cardinals head sports trainer, Adam Olsen. Herrera was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he walked off the field and into the Cardinals dugout, according to a footage shown by the St. Louis broadcast after the break.
The young Cardinal smashed three home runs in one game last week, becoming the first catcher in the franchise’s 144-year history to do it. His eleven RBIs are also tied for sixth in Major League Baseball this season. Pedro Pagés will most likely take over as St. Louis’ primary catcher. The 26-year-old Venezuelan came in to replace the injured Herrera in game one on Sunday and went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.
Later in the night, he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts to build on his previous effort. Another question that arose following the injury was who would fill the backup role for St. Louis moving forward. During the MLB GM Meetings in November of last year, it was reported that former starter Willson Contreras would shift to first base and designated hitter in 2025.
According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold, Cards President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak stated during the discussions that Contreares was “unlikely” to catch much as a result of his position adjustment.
Herrera’s departure to the IL left Pagés as the lone primary catcher on St. Louis’ 40-man roster, but Marmol told reporters that Yohel Pozo will meet with the team in Pittsburgh to join. Pozo is not on the 40-man roster, so the team will have to make a move to add him when Herrera officially goes on the disabled list.
Whatever the 40-man move ends up being, we’ll have to see it sometime on Monday afternoon. The Cardinals face the Pirates at 5:40 p.m. CT in Pittsburgh.
