Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar Now Has Target Return Date From Injury

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to look different on Friday, in a very positive way.

The current expectation is that outfielder Lars Nootbaar will be activated off the Injured List on Friday, as shared on X by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"Nootbaar is expected to join team Friday," Goold wrote. "[Victor Scott II] is struggling but remains a contributor on defense, in the view of the team."

The Cardinals Are About To Get Lars Nootbaar Back

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) hits a one run single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

This is massive news for the Cardinals. St. Louis has been able to find success throughout the season to this point. While Nootbaar could very well end up being a trade candidate this summer, that's a topic for another day. The Cardinals undoubtedly will be a better team with Nootbaar in the mix than they have been without him so far this season.

Right now, the Cardinals are missing Nathan Church as he's on the Injured List. When Nootbaar is back in the mix, they are going to get a clear answer in left field — or center field if they take playing time away from Scott, which doesn't seem likely right now with Church on the Injured List.

With Nootbaar, the Cardinals know what they're getting. The 28-year-old is a career .242 hitter with at least 12 homers or more in each of the last four seasons. On top of this, he also had at least 40 RBIs in each of the last four seasons. Last season, he slashed .234/.325/.361 with a .686 OPS, 13 homers, and 48 RBIs in 135 games played. It was a bit of a down season for him, though.

When the season ended, it was announced that he was going to undergo surgery to help correct Haglund’s deformities. Right when it was announced, it put his 2025 season into perspective much more. Haglund’s deformities are painful, bony growths on the back of the heel near the Achilles tendon. The fact that he was dealing with them on both heels must've been tough.

Fortunately, he's trending in the right direction and now is just a few days away from returning to the club, barring a last-second turn for the worse. The Cardinals are 31-26 on the season so far, even without Nootbaar. Imagine what they're going to look like with him? Don't worry, Cardinals fans, the wait is finally just about to be over. Friday, June 5 is expected to be the day.

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