Iván Herrera DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera and outfielder Jordan Walker are not in the starting lineup on Saturday when they continue a series against the Washington Nationals. Herrera returned from the injured list on Friday and went 1-for-4 with two RBI. However, he will get the day off, which will open a spot in the lineup for Pedro Pages to be behind the dish. Walker has started each of the previous three contests but has tallied just one hit and held a 5:2 K:BB over this stretch. Instead, Lars Nootbaar will shift to right field, which opens left field for Brendan Donovan. Fantasy managers should expect both Herrera and Walker to return to the lineup on Sunday. The Cardinals are worth targeting in DFS facing Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams, who has held a modest 5.86 ERA this season.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) was officially activated off the 10-day injured list prior to their contest on Friday against the Washington Nationals. Herrera has been on the injured list since early April with a knee bruise. This evening, Herrera will bat sixth and serve as the designated hitter. While he has been sidelined, the Cardinals have given most of the catching duties to Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo. Herrera was enjoying an impressive start to the campaign as he posted a .381/.458/.1.048 slash line with four long balls across his first seven contests. Last summer, the 24-year-old appeared in a career-high 72 games and held a solid .301/.372/.428 slash line. Fantasy managers should expect the 24-year-old to operate as the clear No. 1 backstop for the foreseeable future. Given his offensive upside, he is worth a look in one-catcher leagues and a must-start option in two-catcher formats.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera (knee) is expected to come off the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the Washington Nationals, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold. The Cardinals have already sent Luken Baker to Triple-A Memphis to free up a roster spot for Herrera's impending return. The 24-year-old backstop has gone 9-for-23 with a home run and a double in six minor-league rehab games for Memphis and appears ready to go. The Cardinals could ease him in at first with more starts as the designated hitter following a month-long absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee, but when he returns, Herrera will be a lineup regular for the Cardinals. Before his injury, he was the team's starting catcher and had gone 8-for-21 with four homers, 11 RBI and six runs scored.