Jan 22, 2026, 11:19 AM ET

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (elbow) began throwing earlier this month, and manager Oliver Marmol said that he should start hitting and defensive drills this week. Marmol wasn't ready to commit to an exact role for Herrera, who could catch or play left field. The skipper noted that spring training games don't offer the best opportunity for the Cardinals to evaluate Herrera behind the dish, since opponents don't always start their best players, and they also don't steal as often. As a result, they might not have an exact vision for his role until after the regular season begins. The team does expect Herrera to demonstrate improved throwing after he underwent an offseason surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. Meanwhile, Herrera has expressed his desire to be an everyday catcher in the future. However, as he continues to work his way back from injury, St. Louis is being non-committal about his role. We wouldn't be surprised to see him play some catcher and some left field during the first couple weeks of the regular season. Cardinals fans and fantasy managers will certainly be excited to see him back in action, as Herrera posted an impressive .284/.373/.464 slash line with 19 home runs and a 137 wRC+ through 107 games last year. He currently ranks as the #11 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Rob Rains