Cardinals’ Ivan Herrera to Revisit Familiar Position During Spring Training

The Cardinals aren't giving up on this just yet.

Sep 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) tosses his bat after hitting a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying a lot of different things in spring training as they evaluate their roster and try and see who fits where for the 2026 season. They made a lot of trades this winter to set themselves up for the future, so there is a little more flexibility to try things.

Ivan Herrera made his spring debut as the Cardinals' designated hitter on Thursday against the Houston Astros. He was one of the Cardinals' top hitters in 2025 and should be a key piece again this year.

But the Cardinals don't want to limit him to DH duties. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat, the Cardinals will be trying Herrera at a familiar position on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ivan Herrera will return to familiar spot

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) fields a ball during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"Iván Herrera is set to catch Leahy on Sunday, first game action behind the plate," Jones posted on X.

Herrera is a natural catcher and was once expected to be the catcher of the future. Now, the Cardinals have a lot of catching depth and not enough places to put all the catchers they have in the system.

Still, they clearly aren't giving up on the idea of Herrera being a catcher. They want to keep his bat in the lineup any way they can, so trying him behind the plate is a good idea.

Even though he has struggled defensively over the years, he is by far their best hitting catcher, and they need that presence in their lineup if they want to take steps forward in the future. As of now, Pedro Pages is the favorite to win the starting job behind the plate, which would allow the Cardinals to use Herrera as a DH.

However, there is still a chance for Herrera to be the catcher of the future. Sunday will be his first test in game action, and by then, the Cardinals will have a little more clarity on whether or not he has improved behind the dish.

If the struggles continue, fans should expect to see Pages in harness on Opening Day, but spring training is a good time to see if Herrera has made any major strides. If he has, then that allows the Cardinals to trust him behind the plate and use somebody else as a DH for the 2026 season.

We'll see how Herrera performs behind the plate on Sunday.