WASHINGTON — The final step Ivan Herrera needed to take on his way back to the majors from a knee injury was to feel more comfortable, less restricted when running the bases.
“I stole a base,” he grinned. “I felt a little fast, so I went for it.”
The Cardinals brought Herrera back from the injured list officially Friday, and still cautious about his left knee injury they kept two other catchers on the active roster. Because of the crowd at his position, Herrera will get regular playing time at another crowded position on the Cardinals’ roster. Herrera started at designated hitter on Friday night, and he’ll get consistent at-bats in the role left-handed hitters Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman have shared.
Including Washington starter Mitchell Parker on Friday night, the Cardinals are set to face two lefties in this weekend series, giving Herrera the advantageous matchup. He had a sacrifice fly RBI in his second plate appearance against Parker on Friday at Nationals Park.
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The Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Jordan Walker in the sixth inning against the Angels on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Busch Stadium.
Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch
“To protect against the knee early on for the next couple of weeks, we can ease (Herrera) into the DH, catch him, DH him, however,” manager Oliver Marol said. “We have that protection with a third catcher. Easing Herrera in is part of the third-catcher deal.”
When Herrera first felt pain in his left knee due a bone bruise, he was running the bases at Fenway Park on April 6 and enjoying one of the best offensive starts in the majors. The Cardinals’ 24-year-old catcher was hitting .381 at the time of the injury with a league-leading 1.506 OPS. He continued to crush pitches on his rehab assignment with a home run at Class AAA Memphis and a .391 average (9 for 23).
The Cardinals were eager to get Herrera’s bat back in the lineup while also comforted by the play of catchers Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo in his absence. Pages remains a receiver the pitchers all trust, and Pozo has contributed in Herrera’s place. In 38 at-bats, Pozo hit .316 with a homer and four extra-base hits. His play contributed to the Cardinals’ decision to carry three catchers, but it’s the potential of Herrera’s presence back in the lineup that drove it. Even if that presence complicates the playing time the Cardinals have also promised to give other young hitters such as Gorman and Burleson.
Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages and pitcher Kyle Leahy talk after two Pirates reach base on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at Busch Stadium.
Allie Schallert, Post-Dispatch
To make room on the active roster for Herrera, the Cardinals optioned Luken Baker to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday evening. Used mostly as a bat off the bench, Baker will get consistent starts for the Redbirds.
“The way we talked about it as a staff is it’s hard to do what Luken is doing (in limited at-bats), especially when you really haven’t done it,” Marmol said. “Once we can protect here on (Herrera’s) way back it gives him a couple of weeks getting in a rhythm, getting at-bats, then we can do whatever we need to do.”
Herrera has felt comfortable catching for more than a week, and he had no difficulty doing so during his rehab assignment in Memphis.
He caught a bullpen session Friday at Nationals Park.
The discomfort he had during his rehab assignment came when running the bases. In his final rehab game, Herrera went 2 for 6, and he stole two bases, one on the back end of a double steal and then the one he felt “a little fast.” The report back to the Cardinals was he felt strong running, and Herrera joined them in D.C.
“I think that was the longest period of time I’ve been away from an injury,” Herrera said during batting practice Friday. “It was something new for me. It was frustrating. It was annoying, to be honest. I didn’t feel great about it. Things happen for a reason. Maybe I’ll come back stronger.”
DeJong visits Cards, recovering from surgery
Former Cardinals’ All-Star shortstop Paul DeJong was in uniform with the Nationals on Friday for the first time since requiring surgery to repair the damage caused when a pitch struck him in the face. DeJong said he was feeling batter and taking his recovery “week by week.”
He received clearance recently to begins light physical activity in the weight room. There is no specific timetable for his return, though he and the Nationals are hoping that it will be sometime in July, on or around the All-Star break.
DeJong had surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone, a fractured orbital floor, and a fractured nose. Some of his former teammates wanted to hear the details of the surgery, and others complimented him on how well he looked. On April 15, DeJong was struck under the left eye by a 92.7-mph fastball from Mitch Keller that left him bruised and bloodied. The event was described as “scary” and “frightening,” though DeJong said he was eventually assured that he would recover from the damage.
DeJong, who signed a one-year contract with the Nationals this past offseason, said he would be around for the entire series.
“I couldn’t miss this,” he said in between hugs from Cardinals teammates.
Baker, etc.
Cast in a part-time role Baker hit .235 in his first 34 at-bats of this season, and while he didn’t slug much, he did find ways on base in limited and mostly pinch-hit appearances. Baker had almost as many walks (seven) as hits (eight) to enhance his .366 on-base percentage. At Memphis, he’ll get at least a couple of weeks of steady, daily playing time before being considered for a return to the same role in the majors. … Nolan Arenado (back spasms) returned to the lineup at third and cleanup without limitations after being a late scratch for Wednesday’s series finale against Pittsburgh. … With a two-run double in the first inning Friday, Willson Contreras extended his streak of reaching base safely to 21 games. The Cardinals are set to face the two players with active streaks longer on this road trip: Washington’s James Wood (25 games) and Philadelphia’s Trey Turner (29).
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