St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar turned in a solid performance in his team's Wednesday doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Nootbaar combined to go 2-for-8 with a homer, two runs, and an RBI across both games. After going hitless in Game 1, Nootbaar bounced back to blast a solo shot over the fence in the second inning of Game 2, giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. On the year, Nootbaar is hitting .235 with six homers, 16 runs, 20 RBI, and three steals over 153 at-bats. He is showing signs of heating up of late, batting .333 over his last seven contests.
The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Monday and optioned infielder Jose Fermin to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. It remains to be seen if Nootbaar will be back in the starting right away on Monday against the hosting Washington Nationals, but the 26-year-old should be a lineup regular now that he's back from a strained oblique that has kept him out for around the last six weeks. He went 6-for-23 with two home runs in seven games during a minor-league rehab assignment, so he looks to be in good shape at the plate for his return to the big leagues. Nootbaar's career has been littered with injuries to this point, but his power/speed combination makes him intriguing in most fantasy leagues, even if it's just as a bench option. Before getting hurt, he was hitting .234 (33-for-141) with five homers, 19 RBI and three stolen bases.
The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) could return to the MLB lineup as soon as Sunday afternoon. Manager Oli Marmol mentioned in his pregame comments today that he has a call scheduled with Nootbaar post-game to see how he is feeling on his rehab assignment. Marmol suggested that if Nootbaar feels he does not need any more at-bats in Triple-A Springfield, he could be activated tomorrow. In 164 plate appearances this season, Nootbaar is hitting .234 with five home runs, 15 RBI, three stolen bases, and 14 runs scored. He should step into a full-time job with daily at-bats once activated from the IL.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) will begin a minor league rehab assignment on Friday with Double-A Springfield. Nootbaar told reporters on Thursday that the plan is to play five or six games before returning to St. Louis. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since late-May due to an oblique strain. When healthy, Nootbaar is a solid contributor in fantasy formats. He has been off to a slow start to 2024, but Nootbaar does have a good track record. He should be able to return to the Cardinals lineup in early July.
Lars Nootbaar Taking Full Swings, Almost Ready For Batting Practice
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) has been taking full swings this week and is almost ready to begin taking batting practice. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was optimistic that Nootbaar returning soon, though the outfielder will need a rehab assignment prior to joining the active roster. The lefty was hitting for a solid .742 OPS before he strained his oblique in late May. In Nootbaar's absence, Alec Burleson has been receiving more playing time in the Cardinals' outfield. When Nootbaar returns it should be expected that Burleson returns to DH more often. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Nootbaar's return until around the All Star game, given that there will be no setbacks. In the meantime, Burleson is a fine fantasy option who is currently hitting for a 109 OPS+.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) is likely to miss an extended period of time. On Friday, Cards manager Oli Marmol told reporters that Nootbaar is dealing with a moderate oblique strain that is expected to force him to miss several weeks. An extended absence usually requires a stint minor league rehab stint as well. Fantasy managers should expect Nootbaar to be out at least a month. In the meantime, Alec Burleson should see increased playing time going forward.
The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 30) with a left-oblique strain on Friday and recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar is most likely going to miss more than 10 days after injuring himself on a check swing during the win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. The oft-injured 26-year-old opened the year on the IL as well due to fractured ribs and has been very frustrating to roster in fantasy. He's still worth holding onto if you have the room in deeper leagues, though, as he was hitting a strong .313/.418/.552 with four home runs in his last 79 plate appearances. Nootbaar's injury will mean more consistent playing time for Alec Burleson and Dylan Carlson, as well as veteran Matt Carpenter.
Lars Nootbaar Leaves Wednesday's Game With Side Injury
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (side) was removed from Wednesday's win over the Cincinnati Reds early in the bottom of the eighth inning after he appeared to strain something in his left side on a check swing in the top of the seventh inning. Nootbaar stayed in the game for an inning before eventually being replaced by Dylan Carlson in right field. Before departing, the 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with two singles and a strikeout to raise his season average to .234 with a .741 OPS. For a player that has already had his fair share of injuries early in his career, this isn't a good sign and could easily send him back to the injured list after he got a late start to the 2024 season. If Nootbaar's injury keeps him out for 10 days or more, Carlson will get a boost in playing time. Check back for more news on the specific nature of Nootbaar's injury.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) is back in Tuesday's lineup against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. After dealing with tightness in his left hamstring for the past two games, Nootbaar will return for the Cardinals sooner than expected to start in right field and bat second on Tuesday. The 26-year-old on-base machine is slashing a modest .227/.338/.409 with five home runs, 19 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 155 plate appearances (37 games) as an everyday player in St. Louis' outfield this season, so he's been very limited from a fantasy perspective. The lefty-hitting Nootbaar has gone just 8-for-44 (.182) with no homers against left-handed pitching, and he won't be a recommended DFS option against Abbott.
Lars Nootbaar Sitting With Hamstring Injury On Monday
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) is not in Monday's lineup due to a hamstring injury. Nootbaar was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to this issue and will once again be sitting on the bench. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol expressed that the injury us "day-to-day" and that "we don't see it lingering." For now Nootbaar should remain stashed and could be activated as soon as later this week. As a result, Dylan Carlson will man right field and should be faded in DFS as he will face Cincinnati southpaw Nick Lodolo, who enters Monday with a 3.34 ERA and stellar 0.94 WHIP.
