Lars Nootbaar’s Return Suddenly Becoming Real for Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to get back one of their top outfielders in the not-so-distant future.

In fact, we now know the latest it will be, at least. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the plan is that Lars Nootbaar will begin his long-awaited minor league rehab assignment on Friday night with Low-A Palm Beach.

"The Cardinals are preparing to start outfielder Lars Nootbaar’s rehab assignment Friday with Low-A Palm Beach, and he would make his season debut that evening," Goold wrote. "The Cardinals wanted to see how Nootbaar recovered from going through pre-game workouts and warmups Thursday. ...

"He’s currently on the 60-day injured list and is eligible to come off May 24. Once he begins a rehab assignment, Nootbaar will have 20 days as a position player that he can spend with any minor-league affiliate, unless he has a setback. The Cardinals are planning to have him move up through the system based on schedule as he nears a return to St. Louis."

The Cardinals Will Have Lars Nootbaar Back In The Very Near Future

Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; 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. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

With Nootbaar set to begin the rehab assignment on Friday night, he will have a maximum of 20 days before the Cardinals will have to make the call to bring him up to the big league roster, or send him down to the minors. That second part isn't likely at all.

So, in a maximum of 20 days, the Cardinals will likely be bringing him up to the majors. The 20-day clock will begin on Friday night and will run through Thursday, June 4. The Cardinals will begin a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at home on June 5. If the Cardinals and the outfielder use the entire 20-day window, that June 5 game would be his first one back.

If the Cardinals don't use the entire window, they will still need to wait nine days. Because Nootbaar is on the 60-day Injured List, he isn't eligible to come off until May 24 anyway. So, if he's healthy and crushing the ball, the Cardinals can take him off the Injured List as soon as May 24. The last day of his minor league rehab assignment could be June 4 with the first game being June 5. So, therefore, Nootbaar's return to the lineup, barring another injury, will come between May 24 and June 5.

After a long offseason of questions and no clear answer on Nootbaar, it is nice to at least now know the exact range of dates in which he could return.

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