The St. Louis Cardinals suffered a major setback during one of the toughest stretches of their season, as catcher and designated hitter was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. He described it as a grade-two strain and shared that doctors estimated his recovery would take between two and six weeks. This timeline would likely see him returning around the MLB trade deadline on July 31, leaving the Cardinals to make critical midseason decisions without one of their key offensive players.
To fill the roster spot, infielder was called up from Triple-A Memphis. Top star, a right-handed hitter, leads the team with a .925 OPS and a 157 OPS+—indicating he’s performing 57% better than the league average. Despite previously missing a month with a left knee bone bruise, he’s still third on the team in home runs with eight.
He explained that he felt the injury while stretching a base hit into a double:
“I hit one to right-center and tried for two. I felt a slight pull in my hamstring. I didn’t think it was serious, but they say two to six weeks, maybe.”
He stayed in the game briefly, covering defense in the sixth and seventh innings, but ultimately couldn’t continue.
The Cardinals initially hoped overnight rest might help, but testing Friday morning confirmed a tear. Saggese had to rush to make it to the stadium by game time.
“It’s tough,” said manager Oli Marmol. “He’s been swinging a hot bat and is a big offensive threat. We’ll miss that. But it’s an opportunity for someone else to step in. That’s baseball—162 games, and it’s never perfect.”
Herrera’s offensive surge has made it tricky to find him regular playing time, especially since the team has been hesitant to use him as a catcher and more reliant on Pedro Pagés. With Jordan Walker returning from injury and Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman hitting well—while Lars Nootbaar continues to struggle—it’s been hard to find enough at-bats for everyone the Cardinals want to develop.
Saggese’s return marks his second stint with the team this season. He previously filled in for Gorman in April and impressed, going 14-for-41 with a home run and four doubles. While primarily a shortstop at Memphis, Saggese also plays second and third base well, and the Cardinals plan to rotate him into those spots to keep other players fresh.
Unlike José Barrero, who’s sparingly backed up Masyn Winn at shortstop, the Cardinals have prioritized giving Saggese regular at-bats—either in St. Louis or the minors. That approach may now shift, partly out of necessity and partly to evaluate whether he needs further development.
The 23-year-old has been strong at the plate in Triple-A, hitting .317 with an .847 OPS and five homers this season.
“This stretch has been brutal,” said Marmol, calling Friday’s opener against the Reds a “survival day.”
“Saggese brings versatility. He can give guys a break if needed. Some of them are banged up but still want to play. If we need rest, he can handle multiple roles.”
As the Cardinals navigate a challenging June and try to stay competitive in the NL Central, replacing Herrera’s offensive impact won’t be easy. While he was out from April 7 to May 9, the team ranked 20th in slugging, 18th in runs, and 16th in wRC. Currently, they sit at 16th in slugging, 7th in runs, and 13th in wRC overall.
Herrera’s injury could’ve been worse, but he’s optimistic he’ll return soon.
“They told me if I kept playing on it, I might miss the whole season,” he said. “So I’m staying positive. Take two weeks, then play the rest of the year.”