St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and is back in the leadoff spot for the team's second game of the season on Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan at Busch Stadium. As a result, shortstop Masyn Winn will hit ninth for the second game in a row to begin the season. Nootbaar will see a notable boost in fantasy value if he sticks atop St. Louis' batting order in 2025 against right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old got a good start on Opening Day on Thursday by going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run to help beat the Twins, and he'll hope to keep it going this weekend. Although he has only faced Ryan three times in his career, he has taken him deep once and driven in two runs. Nootbaar has struggled to stay on the field since 2023 due to injuries, but if he can stay healthy in 2025, a breakout campaign could be coming.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar launched a two-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 performance in a win over the Twins. He led off in this game against a right-handed pitcher, which is a positive sign for his future fantasy outlook. Nootbaar came into 2025 with some sleeper appeal after slashing .290/.420/.565 in September to close out last season. He posted an excellent 49.5% hard-hit rate and walked at a 12.8% clip in 2024. He has the skills to be a fantasy difference-maker if he can put it all together, and he is worth a speculative add in any leagues where he is available.
Lars Nootbaar Set To Hit Leadoff, Masyn Winn Ninth On Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and batting leadoff for Monday's exhibition game against Triple-A Memphis, with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold noting that it's the same lineup that manager Oliver Marmol plans to use on Opening Day this Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. Meanwhile, shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting ninth for the Red Birds. Although this setup could change eventually and is likely to be different against a left-hander, Winn's short-term fantasy upside will suffer after he hit just .080 (4-for-50) with no homers an RBI, two steals and 16 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances over 17 Grapefruit League games this spring. Nootbaar, meanwhile, hit .268 (11-for-41) with a homer, seven RBI and one steal in 18 games. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter could be a nice asset for on-base percentage in deep-mixed leagues as outfield depth.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar had a huge game on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI. Nootbaar added a double and two runs scored in what was his best game of the season. While it was a great game, the 26-year-old just hasn't been able to live up to the potential he showed a few years ago, where he showed 20/20 capability. It hasn't helped that he has once again been injury-prone, and at this point Nootbaar will need to show fantasy managers something more before he becomes a viable option in standard leagues.
The St. Louis Cardinals are without outfielder Lars Nootbaar for Tuesday's game against the New York Mets, the third time in the last four games he has been out of the lineup. In addition to Nootbaar, infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan is out against Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs. Nootbaar is replaced in the lineup by Victor Scott II, who is batting ninth in the order and playing in center. Nootbaar is hitting .234/.324/.388 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 21 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 62 games. His absence will not be felt in standard fantasy leagues, while NL-only fantasy managers may have to consider a dip into the waiver wire if Nootbaar continues to remain out of the lineup.
Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman Sitting Monday With Southpaw On The Mound
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar and second baseman Nolan Gorman are not in the team's lineup on Monday against the New York Mets. The Mets will be sending left-hander Sean Manaea to the mound to start Monday's makeup game, so the left-hitting Nootbaar will take a seat on the bench. The 26-year-old has struggled to put up consistent numbers in 2024, as he is hitting just .234 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, and 23 RBI across 62 games this season. As a result, he isn't necessarily an add in most 12-plus team leagues. Tommy Pham, Alec Burleson, and Victor Scott II will occupy the three outfield spots in Monday's makeup game.
Lars Nootbaar Sitting Against Right-Hander On Saturday
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar will take a season on Saturday against Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon. Nootbaar is typically penciled into the starting nine against right-handers, but Saturday will be an exception. Instead, Brendan Donovan will move to the outfield which opens up the keystone for Nolan Gorman. In his past seven games, Nootbaar has gone 3-for-17 with just one extra-base hit. Both Donovan and Gorman have been in a slump at the plate as well and should be faded in DFS competitions this afternoon as Taillon carries a solid 3.25 ERA and 0.99 WHIP since the middle of June.
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.
Lars Nootbaar
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Cardinals
