The St. Louis Cardinals got massive injury news on outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who’s been out all season after getting double heel surgery in the offseason.
Brenden Schaeffer, an STL Sports Central writer and analyst, reported that Oliver Marmol, unofficially, stated that Nootbaar will be activated ahead of Friday’s game, with Thursday being an off-day.
Lars Nootbaar To Join St. Louis On Friday
Nootbaar, 28, will serve as a veteran presence in St. Louis’ inexperienced lineup.
The outfielder slashed .234/.325/.361 and had 1.4 Baseball Reference WAR in 2025.
After a down year, Nootbaar opted for surgery in the offseason, in hopes that it would increase his chances of being productive.
Since his debut, ‘Noot’ has been a fan favorite in St. Louis. His ear-to-ear smile, infectious playstyle, and sneaky pop have enthralled Cardinals fans for years, and they’re excited to have him coming back.
MLB Reacts to Nootbaar News
Here’s what people are saying:
Cardinals Player Development: “OF Lars Nootbaar launches a lead-off HR to start the scoring for Triple-A Memphis! It marks his 3rd home run over his 12 minor league rehab games.”
Memphis Redbirds: “Let’s check in on Lars Nootbaar’s MLB Rehab Assignment…”
Jacob Cersosimo: “Lars Nootbaar goes yard a few days before he’s expected to rejoin the #stlcards.”
MatrixMedwest: “NOOT GETS IT STARTED. Is he ready to return to the #STLCards? #MiLB #MemphisRedbirds #LiveBaseball.”
Cardinals Dude: “Lars Nootbaar had his injury rehabilitation assignment transferred from Springfield (AA) to Memphis (AAA) today. He could return to the big club as early as Friday. #stlcards.”
John Denton: “Lars Nootbaar, who is expected to rejoin the #STLCards on Friday, launched his third Minor League homer. Nootbaar, who had double heel surgery last October, is expected to return to the Cards’ starting lineup against the Reds on Friday.”
Dani Wexelman: “Oli Marmol announced postgame Lars Nootbaar will join the Cardinals Friday vs Cincinnati.”
Thomas Gauvain: “Lars Nootbaar played three games in a row from 5/28-5/30, but he has yet to play two games in a row in left field for the full game. He’s been subbed out and then DH’d the next day. That’s the last box he has to check (presumably). I would suspect they give it a go tonight and tomorrow, use the Thursday off day as rest for him, then we see him in St. Louis for the weekend series against the Reds #STLCards.”
Cardinals Stats and Facts: “I don’t care if he gets traded in a couple months or not, this team very badly misses Lars Nootbaar in the lineup. This team is a black hole when the top 4 in the lineup have a bad game like today, and that’s a lot of pressure on those guys.”
The Cardinals Have Struggled Recently
After taking a series from the Cubs, St. Louis fell victim to the Rangers and their pitching staff.
Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi were good enough to steal a series away from St. Louis’ clutches. The former earned his 100th win as a big leaguer after tossing five shutout frames with eight strikeouts.
With Nootbaar back, there are serious questions about playing time and how manager Oli Marmol will distribute at-bats. Time will have to tell, as it always seems to do.
Cardinals Get Massive Lars Nootbaar Update Before Reds Series