After undergoing double heel surgery in the offseason, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar won’t be ready for the start of the campaign, as noted by Cardinals reporter Derrick Goold.
As expected, his absence opens the door for Nelson Velazquez, an offseason minor league signing, to make the Opening Day roster. He figures to pair with Victor Scott II and Jordan Walker in the outfield, with Alec Burleson also representing an option out there.
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Nootbaar has yet to play this spring, so while no timeline has been given for his return to action, he’ll figure to need a substantial rehab assignment to get ready. His injury also kept him out of the World Baseball Classic, where he played with Team Japan in 2023, winning a gold medal. Team Venezuela captured the WBC crown by beating Team USA in the final.
Now 28 years old, Nootbaar is under team control for two more seasons. A career .242 hitter, he had 13 homers a season ago.
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There was plenty of speculation about the Cardinals trading him this offseason, but that never quite made sense because of the injury situation. St. Louis might move him, but they are better served doing so at the trade deadline once they’ve given him a chance to get re-established. Or next offseason, though future labor issues could complicate that as well.
A former eighth-round pick of the Cardinals (2018) out of Southern California, Nootbaar made his major league debut in 2021. His .242 career average comes with 58 lifetime homers and 28 stolen bases. He’s generally regarded as a solid defender.
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) makes the catch on a fly ball to left field by San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) in the second inning at Busch Stadium. Tim Vizer-Imagn Images
–When Richard Fitts was sent down to minor league spring training earlier this week, it meant that the five starting rotation spots are now accounted for. Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy have earned those spots. Liberatore has been given his first Opening Day nod, which will come up on Thursday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays.
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–The Cardinals played against the Washington Nationals in the annual “Spring Breakout” prospect showcase game. It was a rough showing for top pitching prospect Liam Doyle, but a solid performance from JJ Wetherholt, who still has a chance at his own Opening Day roster spot.
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