The Cardinals have gotten out to a surprisingly good start, with a 19-13 record entering play today. That’s mostly due to their offense, which ranks sixth in the Majors with a 107 team wRC+. A key contributor to that offense is making progress on his rehab. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar is set to begin a rehab assignment the week of May 10, according to manager Oli Marmol (link via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat).
Nootbaar has started 2026 on the injured list. He underwent surgery in October to address Haglund’s deformities in both of his heels, which may have kept the rebuilding Cardinals from seriously pursuing a trade. The club likely hoped Nootbaar would be healthy for the start of the year and make himself a trade candidate come July. He did not progress as hoped, though. Nootbaar did not appear in any Spring Training games and instead landed on the 60-day IL on March 25. Assuming a full 20-day rehab assignment, he could return in early June in the best-case scenario.
Nootbaar had a 114 wRC+ or better in every year from 2022-24. Although he missed significant time due to injuries, he was still good enough for 7.4 fWAR in that span. Unfortunately, Nootbaar took a step back in 2025. He reached a career high with 583 plate appearances, but the result was a line of .234/.325/.361 and a 96 wRC+, his first below-average mark in a full season. On defense, Nootbaar spent most of his time in left field and regressed to -4 Outs Above Average, showing diminished range but above-average arm strength. In the perfect world, St. Louis would see Nootbaar resume his regular role after two months on the IL and post above-average offense as he did from 2022-24.
In Nootbaar’s absence, the Cardinals’ outfield has been a mixed bag. The surprise breakout of Jordan Walker accounts for a lot of their production so far. After posting well-below-average numbers in 2024-25, Walker has a staggering 166 wRC+ and nine home runs through 134 plate appearances in 2026. He is also batting an unsustainable .394 on balls in play, so some regression is inevitable. Nathan Church and Victor Scott II occupy left and center field at present. Church has been below-average (91 wRC+), while Scott has been downright dreadful (30 wRC+). Both are young players with options remaining, though Scott is the more likely demotion when Nootbaar returns given his total lack of offense.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
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