Red Hot Cardinals Catcher Exits Game With Concerning Leg Injury

Iván Herrera recently suffered a concerning leg injury on the basepaths.

Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (48) hits a three run home run during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten off to quite a scorching hot start this season. They've won four of their first seven games including an opening series sweep of the Minnesota Twins.

This has come through the scorching hot starts from Nolan Arenado and Iván Herrera, both of which have slugged multiple doubles and at least one home run. While Arenado has been hot, Herrera is the hottest hitting player on the team right now.

Through 20 at-bats, he's recorded 22 total bases thanks to a three home run game on Wednesday. There doesn't seem to be much that could slow him down right now. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, he may have just run into the only thing that can cool down his hot start: an injury.

During Sunday's Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox, Herrera came up gimpy on the base paths with an apparent leg injury. Herrera was helped off the field by multiple Cardinals personnel before being taken out of the game. Pedro Pagés entered the game to replace the injured catcher.

The extent of the injury is currently unknown, but it seemed a bit more serious than Cardinals fans would have liked. Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that Herrera was unable to put weight on his foot and leg as he was helped off the field.

The Cardinals will be left to fight an uphill battle if Herrera misses extended time. He was shaping up to be one of the best young catchers in baseball, but this injury could throw a wrench in those plans.

There's a chance that Willson Contreras could catch for the Cardinals again in a "break glass scenario," according to Woo.

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