Iván Herrera Fantasy Stats

St. Louis Cardinals catcher/designated hitter Ivan Herrera has improved his plate discipline in the first half of the season, cutting down on his strikeout rate and increasing his walk rate. His batting average has dropped as well, though, and his ISO and SLG are both below his numbers from the last two years. The Cardinals have tried to keep the 26-year-old fresh by playing him just 36 games behind the plate and 59 games at designated hitter. Hopefully, his fresher legs will lead to more power in the second half, but he struggled over the past 20 games, with just a .183 batting average and 26.8% hard-hit rate. His track record over the last few seasons does give him upside in the second half. After the All-Star break last season, he hit .260 with 11 homers and a .344 wOBA. Since he's in a prime lineup spot, hitting second for the Cardinals, he has the potential for a nice bounce-back in the second half and could be a nice pickup if his current manager is down on him due to his slump.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera is behind the dish to catch right-hander Andre Pallante for Tuesday's matchup against the visiting New York Mets and right-hander Kodai Senga, according to MLB.com. Herrera is off to a cold start offensively, going 2-for-17 (.118) with a double, two RBI, and one strikeout in four games played, but the main takeaway is that he's already had two starts at catcher, so he should quickly regain catcher eligibility for fantasy managers. The 25-year-old native of Panama hit a strong .284/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS, 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 54 runs scored, and even eight stolen bases in 452 plate appearances in 107 games in 2025 in his first full year in the majors, but he didn't play at all on defense in the second half due to injuries. Durability is a real concern for the Cardinals catcher, but Herrera's solid contact rate and batted-ball metrics make him an intriguing catching option in fantasy leagues as long as he can stay on the field. He has never faced Senga in his career.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) will bat second and play catcher for Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. Herrera was the designated hitter for the Cardinals' regular-season opener on Thursday, but it appears that he's now healthy enough to get back into the defensive alignment. The 25-year-old is looking to build off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slashed .284/.373/.464 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, a 9.5% walk rate, an 18.6% strikeout rate, and 137 wRC+. He went 0-for-4 on Opening Day, but it's far too early to panic. He still has tremendous upside given his production at the plate and near-league-average defense. As it stands, he ranks #10 among catchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) will catch a bullpen session on Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League contest against the Houston Astros, according to Lynn Worthy of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He's expected to get three innings behind the plate in his return to game action. Herrera hasn't played since March 6, when he injured his knee. He previously noted that he's not sure how the injury occurred. Fortunately, the issue wasn't too severe, and Herrera will now get back into the lineup less than two weeks later. He is looking to build off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slashed .284/.373/.464 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, a 9.5% walk rate, an 18.6% strikeout rate, and 137 wRC+. As it stands, Herrera ranks as the #10 catcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) is reportedly feeling improved and is making good progress, according to Derrick Goold. Herrera has been held out of action for over a week due to a lingering knee issue. He was being eased into action originally due to offseason elbow surgery. With that being said, Herrera has only made seven plate appearances thus far this spring. The organization plans to have Herrera get behind the plate in game action before the end of Spring Training. It sounds like the Cardinals are confident that Herrera will be ready for the beginning of the season. It wouldn't be shocking if Herrera does see time at designated hitter until he's ready to be behind the plate full-time again. The 25-year-old brings enough upside with the bat to rank slightly outside the top 10 fantasy catchers to begin the 2026 season.

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.

According to a source, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (elbow) had successful surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow on Oct. 15, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. The surgery is not expected to delay Herrera's offseason work, so he should be ready for the start of spring training next year in mid-February. Although the Cardinals used the 25-year-old almost exclusively as a designated hitter after the All-Star break in 2025, he's expected to open next season as the team's primary backstop. Despite missing time with injuries, the Panamanian backstop had a breakout season for the Red Birds in his fourth year in the big leagues, slashing .284/.373/.464 with an .837 OPS, 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 54 runs scored, and even eight stolen bases in 452 plate appearances over 107 games played. There's a lot to like about Herrera, who has hit a strong .286 (192-for-672) in his four seasons in the majors.

St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter/catcher Ivan Herrera (elbow) will undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow after the season, Jim Hayes of FanDuel Sports Network reports. Herrera is expected to be ready for spring training. In the meantime, he'll have the procedure to fix an elbow issue that has negatively affected his ability to throw to second base over the past couple of seasons. The 25-year-old has only served as a catcher in 14 games this season - none since July - but he should see a lot more action behind the plate in 2026 if the surgery goes according to plan. Herrera has broken out offensively this year with a .281/.369/.455 line, 17 homers, 60 RBI, 50 runs scored, and eight stolen bases over 427 plate appearances. Considering his offensive prowess, Herrera could be among the most valuable backstops in both real life and fantasy if he's able to stick as a catcher in the future.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (hamstring) has been activated off the 10-day injured list and is in Sunday's lineup when they conclude a series against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon. The backstop has been out of action with a Grade 2 hamstring strain since June 20. While Herrera was not expected to return until the second half of the season, the Cardinals opted to give him the nod in the game before the All-Star break. This afternoon, he is serving as the designated hitter and batting in the two-hole. Throughout most of the first half, Herrera has seen time as a DH and not behind the plate due to his struggles defensively. However, in the batter's box, he has been very effective, boasting a .320/.392/.533 line. He is a solid option in DFS facing Atlanta starter Davis Daniel.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (hamstring) has begun getting "introductory workouts" in the outfield during his rehab assignment, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Herrera hasn't played since June 19 because of a strained left hamstring. When he does return, the Cardinals plan to significantly cut his time behind the plate to reduce wear and tear. He'll primarily slot in at designated hitter upon activation, but occasionally lining up in the outfield would provide the team more flexibility to plug in various players at DH. Herrera's production this year has been stellar regardless of position. The 25-year-old has slashed .320/.392/.533 with eight home runs and 36 RBI in 171 plate appearances. Herrera is on track to return to the St. Louis lineup after the All-Star break.