Ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals’ series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals announced some bad news for one of their best players. With the Cardinals’ offense needing pop, one of their best sluggers is now on the injured list.
According to the Cardinals in a post on Twitter/X, they have placed catcher and designated hitter Ivan Herrera on the 10-day injured list, and recalled infielder Thomas Saggese from Triple-A Memphis.
INF Thomas Saggese has been recalled from Memphis (AAA).
C/DH Iván Herrera has been placed on the 10-day IL (left hamstring strain). pic.twitter.com/tR4KQIdgq6
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 20, 2025
The move comes just two days after Herrera went 2-4 against the Chicago White Sox. He sat out the second game of the double-header, and the next day, he was placed on the injured list.
In 2025 with the Cardinals, Herrera is batting .320 over 150 at-bats. He has 48 hits, 22 runs scored, eight doubles, eight home runs, 36 RBIs, 16 walks, and 32 strikeouts. His offensive production has been a huge boon for the Cardinals in 2025, and his .925 OPS led the team.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, the second-highest OPS on the team this season is the player they are calling up. Saggese was previously with the team at the beginning of the year, and he was on fire when he was up.
In his second stint in the Majors, Saggese hit .341 with a .876 OPS. Across 41 at-bats in 2025, Saggese had 14 hits, four runs scored, four doubles, one home run, seven RBIs, two walks, and 11 strikeouts. Offensively, he was great. Defensively, he was solid.
While his return to the big leagues is an encouraging one, it coincides with the team losing a great player in Herrera. The Cardinals’ offense has been better as of late, but Herrera was a huge part of it when he was healthy. It’s his second time being out for a while, and could spell concern over his season-long viability.
In the meantime, Saggese joins the MLB club for the third time and will look to contribute to the team as they sit just a half game behind the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot in the NL.
They face the Reds, who are just one game behind the Cardinals in the standings. It’s a huge weekend series for the Cardinals, and they’ll have to do it with a shaken-up lineup and roster.
