Cardinals’ Willson Contreras freak injury gets upsetting hint from Oliver Marmol

Should Contreras require surgery on his fractured forearm, he’ll miss an extended period of time. It’s likely that Ivan Herrera, who took over for Contreras on Tuesday, would get the not as the Cardinals’ everyday catcher.

Unfortunately, Herrera is not nearly the player that Contreras is. While he’s still only 23 years old and has plenty of time to develop, he doesn’t provide much pop in his bat. Across three seasons in his career, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound catcher is slashing .221/.295/.320 with three homers and 16 RBI. Contreras, on the other hand, has a .258/.352/.463 slash line with 143 homers and 144 RBI.

But it’s not just offense that this injury will affect. Catcher is a critical defensive position that requires comfort with the starting pitching staff and an ability to call a solid game. Pitchers are creatures of habit, and it will be an adjustment to switch to a new battery mate for the coming months.

Contreras is a three-time All-Star and a former World Series champion, winning back in 2016 with the Cubs. He was also one of the few players on the squad doing well at the plate. He ranks second on the team (among starters) in batting average, and also leads in homers. Contreras and Nolan Arenado are the only starters on the Cardinals hitting over .270.

Comparing the players is inherently unfair due to Contreras being eight years older. However, the point is that the Cardinals will have to deal with a significant downgrade at the catcher position, through no fault of Herrera’s own.

St. Louis is currently sitting at 15-21 this season. That puts them in last place in the National League Central division. Unfortunately, things aren’t going to get any easier for them with Contreras out for a potentially long stretch.

Up next for St. Louis – the Cardinals take on the Mets again on Wednesday.