Just days after launching three home runs in a single game and lighting a fire under the St. Louis Cardinals’ offense, catcher Iván Herrera was helped off the field Sunday afternoon with an apparent knee injury. But despite the scare, Herrera delivered a hopeful message to fans shortly after.

“I’ll be back soon,” Herrera said, per The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Manager Oliver Marmol echoed that sentiment, stating the team had “avoided a bad situation” after tests confirmed Herrera’s knee remained structurally sound. The diagnosis: inflammation in his left knee, enough to land Herrera on the injured list but not serious enough to suggest long-term damage.

The injury occurred during Game 1 of a day-night doubleheader in against the Red Sox. Herrera was running the bases when he came up hobbling on his way from first to third on a Nolan Arenado double. He was unable to put weight on his left leg and had to be helped off by trainers and manager Marmol. He did not return for the second game.

Ivan Herrera will return to the Cardinals after a short stint on the IL

Though the loss of Herrera is a blow, the Cardinals are breathing a sigh of relief that it’s not something more serious. The 23-year-old catcher has been on an absolute tear to open the 2025 season, hitting .400/.455/1.100 through 22 plate appearances with four homers and seven RBIs. His offensive explosion, including a three-homer game against the Angels, turned heads across the league.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Marmol told ESPN’s Buster Olney during the Sunday night broadcast. “We’re lucky with this one.”

While Herrera heals, the Cardinals will turn to Pedro Pagés to handle the bulk of catching duties. Pagés, who replaced Herrera midgame Sunday, has had a solid start in limited action, going 4-for-10 with a double and a homer. While not expected to replicate Herrera’s offensive ceiling, Pagés provides steady defense and respectable contact hitting.

Behind Pagés, the Cardinals are calling up Yohel Pozo, who will need to be added to the 40-man roster. Pozo hasn’t played in the majors since a brief stint with the Rangers in 2021 but brings a solid bat. He’s been a consistent performer at the Triple-A level, boasting a career .321/.343/.545 slash line in 329 games. He won’t match that production in the bigs, but the Cardinals are hopeful he can provide some punch while Herrera recovers.

Interestingly, the team continues to avoid using Willson Contreras behind the plate, even in emergencies. Contreras, now stationed at first base full-time, didn’t catch during either game of the doubleheader despite his background as a longtime starting catcher. For now, St. Louis will rely on Pagés and Pozo, but Herrera’s bat and presence will be sorely missed. Fortunately for the Cardinals — and their fans — his message was clear: this isn’t goodbye for long.