The Cardinals lost one of their top hitters on Friday afternoon. Catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera landed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. It’ll be more than a minimal stay with a chance to cost him upwards of a month.
Herrera was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain, the team informed reporters (link via Katie Woo of The Athletic). That involves some measure of tearing and is of moderate severity. There’s a wide range on the timeline. St. Louis said Herrera could be sidelined anywhere between two and six weeks. Thomas Saggese is up from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the active roster.
It’s the second IL stint of the season for the 25-year-old Herrera. A bone bruise in his left knee cost him a month between early April and the second week of May. Herrera has raked when healthy. He’s batting .320/.392/.533 and has already established a career high with eight home runs in only 171 plate appearances. Herrera has made 13 starts behind the dish while getting the DH assignment on 28 occasions.
The Cardinals have carried three catchers since Herrera’s first IL stint, which is why they were able to recall an infielder as the corresponding move. That has freed them up to use Herrera as a DH without worrying about overworking him. Pedro Pagés has a much lighter bat but has superior defensive marks. Pagés was already playing fairly regularly and will be the clear #1 catcher for the time being. Yohel Pozo will back him up. Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Saggese could all rotate through the DH spot.