Cardinals need these 4 players to step up during Ivan Herrera's injury absence

Whoever is at designated hitter

The current setup at designated hitter appears to be Alec Burleson against righties and either Contreras or Luken Baker standing in against left-handed starters. This could get even more complicated when Nolan Gorman returns from the injured list after what was described as a very minor hamstring pull. So far this season, Burleson is doing fine in the role but is still lacking the power that can take him from an average hitter to an above-average DH who deserves everyday at-bats regardless of the matchup. The lefty showed his ability to be a quality hitter against tough pitching, notching an RBI single against Paul Skenes. It would be encouraging to see some more lift in his swing, but it is also hard to be upset with consistent contact.

With Herrera's thump out of the lineup, the DH spot should be a place in the order that other pitchers fear to face, and that has just not been the case to this point. The Cardinals are an organization who have shied away from rostering a specific DH, typically preferring to have defensive flexibility and use that spot as a way to rotate off days or keep guys fresh.

This thinking may have to change, but only if one of the current hitters can seize the role. Baker has flashed plenty of power throughout his professional career, but his defensive shortcomings and roster construction have limited his at-bats at the big league level. He hit four homers in Spring Training to win a roster spot but has only received 11 at-bats at this point of the season but has taken advantage of those opportunities, with a .955 OPS and 2 RBIs. It is unlikely that the team shifts Baker to a full-time role unless Burleson and Contreras struggle and Gorman is unable to keep his hot start up when he returns from the injured list in the near future.

No matter who fills that spot in the order, they will have to do so with power, and I personally would love to see Burleson change his approach and swing for the fences more often. He has above-average contact ability, so even if this results in more swing-and-miss, he could still be near the mean in regards to chase rate and strikeout percentage. Burleson slapping singles is nice for the batting average, but to truly grab onto the role, he will have to start producing runs with extra-base hits.

When Herrera returns from the injured list, it could be possible that he gets his legs back under him in the designated hitter spot, especially if Pages shows he is capable of handling everyday duties both offensively and defensively. This would be both a luxury and a detriment to the current DH options but it is always hard to argue against keeping a hot bat in the lineup.