Oli Marmol Explains Ivan Herrera's Limited Catching Action for Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals pulled off a comeback victory on Sunday night at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers to improve their record to 5-4 to start the 2026 season. The difference in the game was a two-run single by Ivan Herrera in the top of the fourth inning.

The Cardinals currently have three catchers on their active roster. Pedro Pages is getting the majority of the reps, while the Cardinals have Yohel Pozo as the backup and Herrera serving as the designated hitter.

The Cardinals want to give Herrera more chances behind the plate, He has done well thus far, but the team has only had him catch three games this season. Manager Oli Marmol explained why this is, and it doesn't have too much to do with Herrera needing to prove himself.

Why Herrera's catching has been limited

"It’s not just checking some boxes that allow him to catch more, it’s progressing that so he can continue to stay healthy,” Marmol told Josh Jacobs of MLB.com. " So part of it is not just, ‘Is he calling a better game, throwing better, controlling the running game and therefore workload drastically increases?’

“I think we have to be smart about how that workload gets increased in order to have him healthy for an entire season. But up to this point, I feel like he’s done a really nice job behind the plate. There is a reason for everything he is doing back there from a game-calling standpoint, and that’s what earns you trust from [coaching] staff, pitching staff and bullpen."

Herrera began the 2025 season as the team's starting catcher, but was quickly moved out of that spot after suffering a knee injury in April. He stil caught some after his return, but his knee was still an issue, and that allowed St. Louis to roll with Pages behind the plate.

But Herrera's limited catching experience at the major league level is thanks in large part to the fact that he has struggled to stay healthy and be able to handle a full workload of catching. But as long as he can remain healthy and not spend too much time on the injured list, he could be the catcher of the future in St. Louis.

His bat is what keeps him in the lineup, so he should at least play almost every day. But it all depends on whether or not he can stay healthy beind the plate and show that he is improved.