Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Clear About Iván Herrera's Role In St. Louis

The Cardinals have one of the biggest breakout stars on their hands...
Patrick McAvoy|
May 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
May 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have found a potential star in Iván Herrera and it's clear that they are going to give him as many opportunities as possible.

Manager Oliver Marmol talked about wanting to have the young slugger in the lineup every day, as transcribed by The Athletic's Katie Woo.

"I'd like Herrera to be in there every day," Marmol said as transcribed by Woo. "It's going to be mostly at the DH. I'll pair him with a couple of guys throughout the week to catch, which gives (Alec Burleson) a shot at playing first and getting (Willson Contreras) off his feet. I will give (Jordan Walker) a couple of days off, playing him four to five days a week instead of running him out there every day, which gives Burleson another two games in the outfield."

The Cardinals lost on Friday, but still have a 32-25 record. With all of the success the team has, it's somewhat difficult to mix and match and give everyone opportunities. Burleson has been great. Walker has been great. Herrera has been phenomenal. Pedro Pagés has been strong behind the plate. There's only so much time to go around and it's a balancing act.

Keeping Herrera in the lineup at all costs obviously is important, though. This is a guy who is slashing .345/.424/.607 with five home runs and 26 RBIs in 25 games played. He also has an OPS of 1.031. It's tough balancing all of the time, but it's a good problem to have.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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