What’s the catch if Ivan Herrera returns to DH without alternate position? Cardinals Extra

Derrick Goold | Post-Dispatch

Before Ivan Herrera left for his rehab assignment this weekend at Class AAA Memphis, the Cardinals had the former catching prospect briefly explore the position farthest from home plate.

An outfield glove could be a fit to keep his bat in the lineup.

Herrera continued his rehab assignment Friday night with the Triple-A Redbirds, and he’ll appear at designated hitter all weekend in the minors and most often when he returns to the major leagues after the All-Star break. But to keep from limiting him to DH for the remainder of the season and landlocking the lineup so others do not get DH starts, the Cardinals gave Herrera some introductory workouts in the outfield. They sought to gauge his comfort and assure he would not risk another injury to his leg.

“We’re going to see what that looks like,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “We know catching is a stressor. We want to do whatever allows him to stay healthy all the way through, and if we feel at any point that it’s strictly DH, then it’s well worth it to keep his bat in the lineup and give him days off when we need the flexibility of moving someone into that spot than stressing (the leg) and him missing more time. That’s the way we’re looking at it.”

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One of the most potent bats the Cardinals have had this season when he’s in the lineup, Herrera will resume the season with a .320 average, a .533 slugging percentage, and a .925 OPS. He’s gone on the injured list twice with a leg injury, and most recently had a slight tear in his hamstring on June 20. The Cardinals do not expect him to catch much — if at all — in the second half of the season because of the concern for his leg.

That has a ripple effect for who plays elsewhere in the lineup.

With Herrera at DH that limits starts for Nolan Gorman or Alec Burleson, and that puts Burleson in the outfield, which likely shifts Gorman and Jordan Walker, when he returns from the IL, the bench. If Herrera plays outfield some, that gives the Cardinals the DH to buy a break for Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras or fit one of the other young hitters into the DH spot. Walker (appendicitis) remains on his rehab assignment with Class AA Springfield with no specific timetable for his return — and no guarantee what role he’ll have when he does.

“It will complicate things, but it’s no different than when we had everybody healthy,” Marmol said. “We had to have some kind of rotation to keep guys fresh, but also locked in. It’s part of it. And we’ll navigate it. It won’t be the first time we’ve had to navigate that. We’ll get back to it.”

Current back-benchers Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese are also going to get more time in the outfield during workouts and possibly games. Fermin has played in the outfield for Class AAA Memphis, and at some point the expectation is Saggese will as well. Saggese has been taking fly balls in the outfield during drills and batting practice. Marmol suggested Friday that Saggese, a right-handed bat and usual middle infielder, could get innings in center field to see how comfortable he is there to further increase his versatility.

“Exploring that with him should be a real option,” Marmol said.

The Cardinals lean left when it comes to their current and usual options in the outfield with four left-handed batters usually getting the starts: Lars Nootbaar, Burleson, Victor Scott II, and their All-Star Game representative, Brendan Donovan. Walker began the season as the right-handed bat that would get priority playing time in right field. Burleson’s production has shifted that plan to fit his bat in the lineup, and Walker has missed more than a month due to a wrist injury earlier and his recovery from appendicitis.

The appeal for an additional right-handed bat in the lineup is obvious as the Cardinals have lost six of the past seven games started by a lefty (not including an opener). Since Herrera went on the IL, the Cardinals have the lowest batting average (.178) and the lowest slugging percentage (.260) against lefties. Those lefty starters have a 1.08 ERA against the Cardinals in 41 2/3 innings. Three of the five runs they’ve allowed came on one swing — a homer by Gorman.

The Cardinals do not expect Herrera to spend any time, even BP, in the outfield while with the Redbirds this weekend, and it’s possible he only works in the outfield with coach Jon Jay in the coming months and does not see any innings there in a game. They just want to be open to trying him out.

“That’s something we can target once he’s here,” Marmol said. “See if it’s an actual option.”

Nootbaar returns, managing injury

Removed from Thursday’s game in the late innings as a precautionary move as he plays through soreness in his ribcage, Lars Nootbaar returned as advertised to the lineup Friday. The outfielder received treatment for a strained intercostal, and he has been managing the injury for several weeks to avoid aggravating or intensifying it. Nootbaar hit .169 in June with a .299 slugging percentage, and since returning from treatment he’s had an uptick to slugging .444 with a .259 average in his previous eight games.

La Russa promotes ‘champions’ event

Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is in town this weekend ahead of his fundraising event Wednesday to promote a night of stories from Cardinals champions. In Stifel Theater at 6:45 p.m. St. Louis time, Joe Buck will moderate interviews with a collection of former Cardinals that is expected to include World Series MVPs David Eckstein and David Freese along with Rick Ankiel, Will Clark, Matt Morris, Jason Isringhausen, Mike Matheny, Matt Morris, Reggie Sanders, Mike Matheny and Jim Edmonds among others.

The evening will also include a tribute to Walt Jocketty, the architect of the Cardinals’ World Series winner in 2006 and pennant-winner in 2004.

La Russa will be in Ballpark Village before each game this weekend as part of the pregame events, and he’ll attend games at Cunningham Corner in Busch Stadium — on the second level, down the third-base line — to sell tickets without the service charge and be available for autographs. The program supports his new charity that supports animal rescues, La Russa Rescue Champions, and the PenFed Foundation.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante speaks with the media on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, after a loss to the Washington Nationals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)

Ethan Erickson | Post-Dispatch

The St. Louis Cardinals lose 6-5 to the Atlanta Braves to begin final home stand before All-Star break