Herrera was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Mets due to knee inflammation, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera had been slated to start at designated hitter Saturday, though his previous few starts had come at catcher, where he's being reintroduced after offseason elbow surgery. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that Herrera will be given 24-48 hours to rest before his status is reevaluated.

Hernandez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a solo home run and a stolen base in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The 26-year-old outfielder is having an impressive start to his spring, going 4-for-14 (.286) with a double, two homers and three steals in three attempts. Hernandez likely won't keep up that kind of success on the basepaths in the regular season -- his career high in stolen bases is eight, set at Double-A in 2023 -- but he could be productive at the plate if he gets consistent playing time in 2026. As a rookie last year, he slashed .266/.347/.438 with 10 home runs in 87 games.

Moreno went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against the Giants.

Moreno clubbed a first-inning home run that travelled 460 feet over the fence in left field. The blast is a reminder that Moreno's offense took a leap forward in 2025, when he posted a career-high .433 SLG (.148 ISO) and swatted nine home runs. A healthy Moreno, who was limited to 83 games by a fractured hand last season, is expected to join Corbin Carroll (hand), Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo atop Arizona's order.

The Cardinals optioned Crooks to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

With five catchers on St. Louis' 40-man roster, Crooks had a considerable amount of competition for an Opening Day spot, and despite going 4-for-12 at the plate with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored in the Grapefruit League, he will ultimately fall short. He's had consistent success hitting in the minors, posting a .773 OPS in 435 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he could be called up to St. Louis later in the year if the trend continues.

The Cardinals optioned Bernal to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Bernal spent all of 2025 at Double-A Springfield, where he slashed .247/.332/.394 with 13 homers, 69 RBI, 58 runs scored and 13 steals over 107 games. After going 2-for-5 with two walks in Grapefruit League play, he'll receive a promotion to Triple-A to begin the season.

Higashioka was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants due to back tightness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Willie MacIver was a late addition to the starting nine at catcher in place of Higashioka, whose removal from the lineup has been described as a "precaution." The veteran backstop previously missed time earlier in camp due to the same injury, which has limited him to just seven at-bats in Cactus League play over the past 10 days.

Herrera (undisclosed) was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

It's unknown why Herrera was taken out of the lineup, but the Cardinals should provide some clarity relatively soon. In the meantime, Chase Davis will pick up a few reps as St. Louis' designated hitter.

Vazquez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Astros on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Vazquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but afterward he will report to Astros camp and attempt to win the backup job behind Yainer Diaz. Cesar Salazar, the only other catcher currently on Houston's 40-man roster, is 2-for-13 so far this spring. Vazquez, now 35, spent the last three seasons in Minnesota, slashing a combined .215/.267/.311.

Del Castillo (calf) has begun hitting in cages and catching bullpen sessions, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Del Castillo has been sidelined since mid-February, at which point his recovery time was estimated to be about a month. He's not running yet, but the resumption of baseball activities indicates Del Castillo could be available for Opening Day.

Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Briceno injured the wrist in a Grapefruit League contest last weekend and is now looking at an extended absence. The 21-year-old slashed .266/.383/.500 with 20 home runs over 100 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2025. Once healthy, he'll likely head back to Erie.