One of the best players on the St. Louis Cardinals roster is getting his first sustained stint in Grapefruit League this year after dealing with injuries most of the spring.

Cardinals designated hitter/catcher Ivan Herrera entered this year rehabbing from offseason elbow surgery to clear out bone spurs and loose bodies. He was unable to compete for Panama in the 2026 World Baseball Classic after he was denied insurance due to his injury.

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Herrera experienced another setback during the spring due to right knee inflammation. Between the knee and the elbow, Herrera was limited to just three Grapefruit League games from Feb. 26-March 6.

Herrera returned March 18 against the Houston Astros. He received just two plate appearances and didn’t reach base safely. He played his second game back against the New York Mets on Ffriday.

Against the Mets, Herrera went 1-for-3 and two RBIs. His only homer and both his RBIs came via a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning.

After Herrera’s game against New York, he’s slashing .250/.250/.500 with a .750 OPS in five Grapefruit League games.

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Last season, Herrera was limited to just 107 games, 89 of them at designated hitter. This was due to more injury troubles related to left knee inflammation and a left hamstring strain.

The 2016 international signee still managed to put together a great season. He slashed .284/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS and hit 13 doubles and 19 home runs with 66 RBIs.

St. Louis has traded several of its best and most established veterans this season. First baseman/catcher Willson Contreras, third baseman Nolan Arenado and 2025 All-Star second baseman Brendan Donovan were all dealt this offseason.

With those players gone and the Cardinals expected to go with a more youthful lineup in their rebuild, Herrera has a legitimate argument as the best bat in the team’s lineup.

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Pedro Pages took over as the team’s main catcher last season due to Herrera’s injuries and it’s anticipated that he’ll do the same thing this season.

According to FanGraphs, Herrera is expected to begin the season as the team’s designated hitter and Pages will be the team’s starting catcher. The website’s roster resource predicts Herrera to be the team’s lead-off hitter.

There’s been speculation that the organization could attempt to move Herrera off from catcher due to his injuries, Pages on the roster and top 100 prospects Rainiel Rodriguez and Leonardo Bernal both playing the position.

Regardless of whether he plays catcher or not, Herrera will likely continue to be one of the team’s most effective hitters.

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