Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar Pulls Back Curtain on Team Japan Decision

Anyone who watched the 2023 World Baseball Classic closely could guess that Lars Nootbaar wishes he could have played for Team Japan again.

Nootbaar, the St. Louis Cardinals' sixth-year outfielder, was one of the faces of the WBC three years ago, playing for Japan due to his mother's heritage despite growing up in Southern California. But after undergoing double heel surgery this winter, he won't be there to help defend Samurai Japan's championship.

Though he knew when he decided to have surgery that he likely wouldn't recover in time for the WBC, Nootbaar said it was something of a no-brainer to put his health for the upcoming regular season first.

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Nootbaar will miss Team Japan experience

Mar 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Japan center fielder Lars Nootbaar (23) and team Japan celebrate after defeating the USA in the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

“When we found some structural damage, it was a decision I had to make pretty fast because it would enter into the season, and we knew the recovery time it would take,” Nootbaar said, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “It was an easy one with the World Baseball Classic and Spring Training coming up. I thought career-wise, it would be best (to have surgery).”

Nootbaar said he had Haglund's deformities in both heels, which caused inflammation in the area where the heels meet the Achilles' tendon.

Getting back to full health after playing through pain all season and putting up his worst season statistics was the primary goal. But he's still bummed to be missing out on the WBC experience.

“I’m greatly disappointed about the games that are coming up now,” Nootbaar said. "I saw some clips of the ‘23 games that brought me back... I remember getting off the flight in Japan. I really didn’t know what to expect, seeing it for the first time, and it was like a whirlwind. I was soaking it all in. Now, being a spectator, you wish you were there, but I made the right decision.”

It's an awkward season for Nootbaar in St. Louis, as he knows he could be traded at any moment once he's healthy. The Cardinals already shipped away former All-Stars Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan, which made Nootbaar the team's longest-tenured position player.