Cardinals dealt concerning injury blow before Reds matchup
The St. Louis Cardinals are dealing with a concerning injury before their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. This bitter news comes with the franchise on a three-game winning streak, catapulting them into the thick of the playoff race. The Cardinals sit at 40-35 and are tied for second place in the NL Central with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Chicago Cubs lead the division right now by 5.5 games.
Advertisement
In addition, St. Louis is only half a game out of the last Wild Card spot, meaning this team will likely be a buyer at the trade deadline. But it will not be easy for the Cardinals to keep pace in an elite and deep National League with the latest news on catcher Ivan Herrera. The 25-year-old picked up an injury against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch lead baseball writer Derrick Goold provided an unfortunate update on social media.
'Ivan Herrera goes on IL with a hamstring tear. Details forthcoming. Thomas Saggese on the way to majors, Cardinals say.'
Herrera was having a positive season through his 42 games of action. The Panama City native has a batting average of .320 with eight home runs and 36 RBI. While Herrera is considered a work in progress at catcher, he has some athletic upside that should allow him to gradually improve on defense as the year goes on. Unfortunately, Ivan will be out for the foreseeable future, meaning Pedro Pages will be heavily relied upon to develop more after a slow start.
The Cardinals' offense has largely been productive in 2025. This group ranks seventh overall in runs per game, taking on an overall balanced approach. On the other hand, the pitching has been a lot less reliable, both with the starting rotation and the bullpen. If the Cardinals want to make a legitimate run at a postseason berth, changes will need to be made to that unit before July 31. And as more news comes out about Herrera's injury, St. Louis might also have another position in desperate need of an upgrade.
Related: Cardinals' Nolan Arenado becomes 7th player in MLB history to accomplish jaw-dropping feat
Related: Cardinals star Nolan Arenado's home run achievement has fans buzzing
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Broadcast was dumbfounded after umpire Brian Walsh had worst missed call of the season
There's no argument that it's generally a difficult job to be an MLB umpire. Pitchers are throwing with more velocity and movement than we've ever seen before, and umpires are still held to an impossibly high standard. But there are some pitches that are so easy to call that there's no excuse. Yet, umpire Brian Walsh managed to miss the easiest call we'll see all season. During the fourth inning of Monday's game between the Orioles and Blue Jays, Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin went middle-middle with a 1-0 sinker. Somehow Walsh stood there without a reaction, calling the pitch a ball. The Orioles broadcast was so shocked that announcers Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald proceeded to roast the umpire. "That's literally right down the middle," Brown said. McDonald added, "I mean, you couldn't set it on a tee in the heart of the plate any better than that. How do you miss that?" With the at-bat flipped in his favor, Ernie Clement would end up hitting a single and scoring later in the inning. And on top of having the worst call of the MLB season, Walsh wasn't great the rest of the way behind the plate. He missed 12 pitches on the night. (Expand tweet to see the strike zone). Could you imagine if the ABS challenge system was in place for that game? It would have been even more embarrassing for Walsh.
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Astros Reportedly Revisiting Trade Talks For Cardinals Third Baseman
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. During the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros came to an agreement that would have sent Nolan Arenado to the Astros, but the Cardinals' third baseman blocked the deal with his no-trade clause. With the trade deadline coming up on Thursday, MLB Insider Jon Morosi reported that the two teams have had discussions again, but there has been no traction just yet. DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 22: Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits into a fourth inning run-scoring ground out against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 22, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 22: Nolan Arenado #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits into a fourth inning run-scoring ground out against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 22, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. Photo byThe Cardinals have been rumored since the offseason to be looking to move on from Arenado, but his no-trade clause and a high salary make it difficult to find a team that meets both requirements. The Cardinals were willing to send cash to help pay down Arenado's contract when the two teams were in discussions during the winter, but the decision to leave St. Louis is in the hands of their Gold Glove third baseman. Now that the Cardinals have seen what their team is this season and with a new regime taking control next year, there may be a higher inclination to move Arenado at the trade deadline. The Astros have been riddled with injuries this season, and with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners breathing down their neck in the standings, they have to be active to try and fend them off. It is unclear whether the Cardinals will move Arenado, and his no-trade clause certainly limits the trade conversations that they have. If the Cardinals don't find a deal before Thursday's deadline, this will be a headlining topic in St. Louis during the winter. More MLB: Cubs, Mariners Reportedly Frontrunners For Diamondbacks Third Baseman After Yankees Trade
Newsweek
11 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Former GM Calls MLB Trade Deadline 'The Most Bizarre I Can Remember'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Circumstances beyond the control of major league teams have conspired to create a confounding week for MLB executives looking to improve their teams' fortunes before Thursday's trade deadline. Jim Bowden of MLB Network on SiriusXM and The Athletic, writing on his Twitter/X account Tuesday, rattled off a variety of unusual issues that combine to make this year's deadline "the most bizarre I can ever remember." This is most bizarre trade deadline I can ever remember: some of best starting pitchers having subpar yrs incl: Cease,Gallen,Alcantara; the best closer Clase on Admin leave; the best Pwr hitter Suarez gets HBP; the best 2 CF Robert and Mullins struggle & best avail DH Ozuna… — Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) July 29, 2025 Those issues include: · Three of the best starting pitchers reported to be made available in trades — San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, and Miami Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara — are suffering through arguably the worst seasons of their careers. · Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, whom Bowden reported was available in trades last week, was placed on paid administrative leave by MLB on Monday while the league investigates unusual betting activity related to his on-field performance. · Eugenio Suarez, who is tied for the MLB lead in RBIs, was injured Monday when he was hit by a pitch in the Diamondbacks' game in Detroit, leaving his health in doubt just three days before Thursday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. · Center fielders Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox and Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles, both Silver Slugger Award winners in the past, are hitting .205 and .221, respectively. · Three-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna, who's hitting .233 himself, can block any trade because of his veteran status (players with 10 years in the league, and five with their current team, have the right to veto any trade). More news: MLB Puts Guardians All-Star on Paid Leave in Connection With Gambling Probe None of these factors suggest Thursday will be an exciting trade deadline — or, at least, one in which several big-name stars change teams. Most if not all of the best available players are struggling in one way or another. Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on from the mound with teammates Eugenio Suarez #28 and catcher Gabriel Moreno #14 prior to leaveg a game against the New York Mets in the first... Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on from the mound with teammates Eugenio Suarez #28 and catcher Gabriel Moreno #14 prior to leaveg a game against the New York Mets in the first inning at Citi Field on May 30, 2024 in New York City. MoreBaseball executives sometimes struggle with decisiveness as it is. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Tuesday that four teams just outside the postseason bubble — the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers — haven't signaled to other teams whether they will buy or sell. More news: Yankees Make Trade, Send Veteran Pitcher to Atlanta Ahead of Trade Deadline A year ago, 11 trades were executed the day before the deadline and 32 on the day the clock ran out, according to Baseball Reference (via Cespedes Family BBQ on Twitter/X). using @baseball_ref transaction data, here's a look at how many trades have been made on each day leading up to the trade deadline over the past 25 years quantity of trades has soared recently, so we're basically guaranteed to have a flurry of activity over the final 48 hours — Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 29, 2025 The quantity of deals made Thursday might be large, but the quality remains questionable. Bowden, the former Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds, reported Tuesday that Alcantara's market is heating up in spite of his performance, and "there is a real chance he gets traded by Thursday." More news: Brewers Make Trade to Acquire Veteran Catcher From AL East Contender So while industry executives froth over a pitcher with a 6.66 ERA (Alcantara), fans can be forgiven for their ambivalence. For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
