Cardinals announce a pair of surprise surgeries for prominent trade candidates

With the St. Louis Cardinals' offseason in full swing, we already knew that star catcher Ivan Herrera was set to undergo elbow surgery, but an update on his situation, as well as new surgeries for Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootbaar, went public today.

Along with Herrera's previously announced elbow surgery, Nootbaar and Donovan both underwent their own procedures on October 7th, with Donovan having work done on a sports hernia and Nootbaar undergoing surgery on both of his heels to shave down Haglund's deformities.

Cardinals' position players Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Ivan Herrera all underwent surgery this month

The recovery timetables for both Donovan and Nootbaar have not been announced yet, but the club did previously share that they believe Herrera will be ready come spring training, and they developed an offseason plan to improve his catching ability with that in mind.

Herrera shared photos on his Instagram earlier today, stating that "Surgery went well, and now the real work begins - recovery. I'm ready to put in the work every day with focus, discipline, and heart."

The surgeries for Donovan and Nootbaar, on the other hand, both came as surprises, and we will continue to monitor their situations and provide updates as information regarding their recovery timetable is made available.

Donovan was significantly hampered by a turf toe injury this year that eventually led to a groin issue that landed him on the injured list. 2025 was the healthiest campaign for Nootbaar as a big leaguer, but he too dealt with some injuries and now has to recover from his heel surgeries.

Haglund's deformity is a condition that causes a bony enlargement at the back of the heel bone (calcaneus) where the Achilles tendon attaches. Depending on the kind of surgery that Nootbaar had done, it does seem like he'll be ready for spring training, but this recovery could significantly hamper his preparation this offseason.

Anytime players have surgery, it is noteworthy, but I do believe these three are very interesting storylines to follow. Nootbaar was expected by many to be a trade candidate this offseason, and this surgery could hurt his value or make it hard for the Cardinals to find a good deal. Donovan is someone who could be extended or traded as well, yet this complicates that as well. Herrera is set to try to get back to being a catcher full time in 2026, but he needs significant improvement in his defense in order to do so.