WASHINGTON — After more than a month sidelined with inflammation in his left knee, Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera is back—and feeling good.
Herrera said he experienced no pain while batting or squatting during his rehab stint, though running remained a minor concern. That made his stolen base during Wednesday’s final rehab game with Triple-A Memphis a strong sign of progress.
“I stole a base,” Herrera said with a grin. “I felt kind of fast, so I just went for it.”
The Cardinals officially activated Herrera from the injured list on Friday. He slotted in as the designated hitter and batted sixth in the series opener against the Nationals.
To make room, St. Louis optioned first baseman Luken Baker to Memphis, leaving three catchers—Pedro Pagés, Yohel Pozo, and now Herrera—on the big-league roster. Manager Oliver Marmol noted that the team intends to ease Herrera back into full catching duties.
“We kept the third catcher and sent Baker down to give Herrera’s knee a little more time,” Marmol said. “We’ll rotate him in as a DH, behind the plate, give him rest days—just feel it out.”
Wednesday marked the first day since his April 7 IL stint that Herrera felt pain-free while running. He made an impression during his rehab assignment, batting .391 and homering in his first game back. Before his injury, Herrera was red-hot, hitting .381 with four homers and 11 RBIs in just seven games—still just one homer behind team leaders Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar.
“This was the longest I’ve ever been out with an injury,” Herrera admitted. “It was frustrating and honestly kind of annoying, but it’s something I couldn’t control.”
