While growing up in Panama and idolizing Cardinals’ catcher Yadier Molina, Iván Herrera would dream about the day when he would reach the big leagues, and he too might play in a string of MLB All-Star Games just like his hero did during his legendary career.

Herrera finally accomplished that dream this season when he was picked as an injury replacement for Shohei Ohtani for the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Not only did a joyous Herrera attend the Home Run Derby to support teammate and eventual champion Jordan Walker, but he also walked the red carpet with his mother, Dona, and he got into the Midsummer Classic as a late-game pinch-hitter.

As it turns out, Herrera’s dreams might now be causing nightmares for a Cardinals team that needs their star designated hitter rested and ready for the stretch run of the season.

Herrera, the only Cardinal player who has appeared in all 101 games this season, was an All-Star despite being in one of the worst slumps of his MLB career.

Various signs point to possible fatigue as the root cause for the struggles from the 26-year-old who has split his time between catching (38 games) and serving as a designated hitter (63 games). In June, Herrera hit just .218 with three home runs and eight RBI – especially poor production from a hitter occupying the all-important No. 2 hole in the lineup.

In July, Herrera’s production has fallen off even more precipitously. Over 75 at bats this month, he’s hitting just .200 and his on-base percentage has plunged to .247 because he has walked just three times while striking out 18 times. Herrera, who has just two extra-base hits in July, last homered on July 7 when he impressively took Milwaukee star right-hander Jacob Misiorowski deep. However, that was his lone extra-base hit over the past 18 games.

Herrera went just 5 for 33 (.151) in the 10 games before the break for the All-Star Game. Then, after living out his boyhood dreams and attending the various events at the All-Star Game, Herrera has come back from the break and gone just 4 for 27 (.148) at the plate over the last six games.

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Of course, there is no rest for the weary now with the Cardinals in a stretch of 20 games in 20 days. The club was originally scheduled to be off today, but they had to fly back from the West Coast to St. Louis to take on the Dbacks in an afternoon matinee to make up a June 25th rainout. The Cards, who dropped four of six on their recent road trip against the Dbacks and Angels, host the Reds for a three-game homestand this weekend.

Placing tremendous value on the hitting potential of Herrera, the Cardinals decided to hit him second and do whatever possible to try and keep him in the lineup every day this season. Herrera, who had offseason surgery on his right elbow, prepared for such a grind by working throughout the winter to become a better catcher. The Cardinals have limited his exposure behind the plate to two times through the five-man rotation.

In addition to his struggles at the plate, Herrera still hasn’t thrown out a base stealer since Sept. 1, 2024, when he nabbed then-Yankees star Juan Soto while trying to swipe second base. Herrera is 0 for his last 54 in trying to throw out base stealers. He didn’t nab any of the 15 foes who stole bases against him in 2025, and this season his skid is up to 26 base stealers without a putout.

The Cardinals put an emphasis on Herrera following a breakout 2025 season where he hit .284 with a .373 on-base percentage while adding 13 doubles, 19 homers and 66 RBI. He did all that despite being limited to just 107 games because of knee and back injuries that disrupted his time in the lineup.

This season, he’s avoided those injuries and has made himself available to the team every day. However, his struggles over the past two months have taken a toll on his effectiveness at the top of the Cardinals lineup. For the season, he’s slashing .241/.366/.373/.739 with 14 doubles, a triple, 11 homers and 41 RBI. One factor that could be playing a role in Herrera’s body being so beaten up: He has been hit with 24 pitches – far and away the most in MLB.

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A look inside the advanced metrics shows more troubling dropoff from Herrera in 2026. Whereas he barreled balls 11.1 percent of the time in 2025, that number (5.4 percent) has been cut in half in 2026. Also, his average exit velocity has dropped (from 91.2 mph to 89 mph) and hard-hit rate (from 47.7 percent to 38.8 percent) has noticeably plunged.

Also, there’s this: Herrera’s batting averages against fastballs (from .300 in 2025 to .242 in 2026) and breaking balls (from .288 in 2025 to .232 in 2026) has dipped.

Herrera occupies some valuable real estate hitting between rookie leadoff hitter JJ Wetherholt (15 homers and 40 RBI) and Cardinals’ sluggers Jordan Walker (22 homers and 76 RBI) and Alec Burleson (15 homers and 69 RBI). For the Cards to get back into the Wild Card race and make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, they likely will have to find ways to reenergize Herrera and get him back to being a hitter worthy of being in the No. 2 hole of the lineup and playing every day.   

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