The St. Louis Cardinals may soon face a lineup dilemma as catcher Ivan Herrera prepares to return from injury and Alec Burleson continues to swing a hot bat.
The team has been gaining momentum recently, winning four straight series and staying competitive in the NL Central. The offense has improved, and pitching has avoided major meltdowns, helping the club hover near a .500 record. Now, the expected return of Herrera — who was one of the team’s most productive hitters before injuring his knee — could complicate lineup decisions.
Before his injury, Herrera was red-hot at the plate, leading the team in home runs and RBIs and sporting an eye-popping 1.506 OPS. His rehab assignment in Triple-A Memphis has gone well, and he’s shown he’s ready to hit again, though questions about his defense remain, especially his ability to control the running game.
In Herrera’s absence, Pedro Pages has filled in capably behind the plate, especially excelling at throwing out base stealers. A natural solution seemed to be using Herrera as a full-time designated hitter — until Alec Burleson’s bat came to life.
Burleson, known for contact hitting and limited defensive versatility, has recently added power to his game. In May alone, he’s homered twice and hit a clutch double off top prospect Paul Skenes, lifting his slugging and OPS significantly. His resurgence makes it harder to justify removing him from the DH role, where he’s finally becoming a real offensive threat.
As a result, the likely outcome is Herrera returning to his original role as catcher, which would move Pages back to a bench spot despite his strong defensive presence. This decision would also bump players like Luken Baker, Jose Barrero, and Nolan Gorman further down the pecking order, while Jordan Walker, despite continued struggles, seems secure in the lineup due to his outfield role and long-term upside.
Would you like a quick summary chart of the lineup options this creates?
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