On the final day of the first half of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals made unexpected roster changes. Ivan Herrera has been activated from the injured list earlier than planned to strengthen the struggling offense. To make room, outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left rib injury.
Since Herrera’s leg injury sidelined him on June 19th, the Cardinals’ offense has dropped to the lower third of MLB in key stats like wRC+, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and total runs. Before his absence, they were among the top 10 in most of those categories. Herrera is not expected to catch again this season to keep him healthy and in the lineup daily. He may play some outfield, but his main role will likely be designated hitter for the rest of the year.
This shift could indicate the Cardinals see Herrera’s future away from catching, possibly as a corner outfielder or permanent DH, although they plan to revisit the idea after the season.
Meanwhile, Nootbaar has been battling issues at the plate and playing through rib discomfort for weeks, which caused him to leave multiple games early. This is his first injured list stint this season, and the team hopes the time off will help him recover physically and mentally so he can contribute in the second half.
About the Author
