The Cardinals announced that outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 60-day injured list. That is presumably to open a 40-man roster spot for prospect JJ Wetherholt, as it was reported a few days ago that Wetherholt would make the Opening Day roster.
It’s an unfortunate development for both Nootbaar and the Cardinals. The outfielder is coming off a down season during which he produced a .234/.325/.361 line and 96 wRC+. That was a notable drop-off from his three prior seasons, as he hit a combined .246/.351/.426 for a 118 wRC+ during that span.
In October, he underwent surgery on both heels to shave down Haglund’s deformities, which are essentially painful protrusions of bone. In the wake of that procedure, it was expected that Nootbaar could have a chance to be ready for Opening Day. It became more and more apparent that he was going to start on the IL as spring training kept going on without him appearing in a game. Now he is not only landing on the IL but it’s the 60-day version. That allows the Cards to open a 40-man spot but means Nootbaar can’t rejoin the team until late May even in a best-case scenario.
The Cards are rebuilding, meaning their players nearing free agency were mostly traded in the offseason. Nootbaar is controlled through 2027, just like Brendan Donovan was, and likely would have been moved if not for the questions about his health. Ideally, he would have been back on the field in 2026 with his production back to his pre-2025 levels. That would have made him a notable deadline trade candidate this summer.
That all could still happen but the plan is going to be delayed and Nootbaar will therefore have less time to showcase his health before the deadline. For now, the Cards are going to be giving the outfield playing time to guys like Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, Nathan Church, José Fermín and Thomas Saggese.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
