Cardinals Receive Mixed Lars Nootbaar Opening Day News

One question hanging over the St. Louis Cardinals throughout Spring Training has been the status of outfielder Lars Nootbaar.

He underwent offseason surgery on both of his heels to correct Haglund’s deformities. Essentially, they are bony pieces near the Achilles tendon that cause pain. Nootbaar has been working his way back ever since. There hasn't been a timeline given on when Nootbaar will return, but there was an update on Saturday. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Nootbaar will begin the 2026 season on the Injured List. While this is the case, on the bright side, Goold reported that Nootbaar will begin a running progression over the weekend.

"Lars Nootbaar has begun his running progression this weekend as Cardinals prepare to leave Florida," Goold wrote. "He will, officially, open the season on the injured list."

While Nootbaar may not be ready to go for Opening Day, this is about as positive an update as the fanbase could've hoped for at this point. Nootbaar hasn't appeared in a single game in Spring Training. The fact that he will be kicking off the 2026 season on the Injured List isn't a shock and was the expectation at this point with Opening Day less than a week away.

Regardless, progress is clearly being made. Nootbaar said himself this past week that he has made "big strides."

The Cardinals outfielder is trending up

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

"Last month since I've been out in Florida, probably timing-wise with surgery and everything, I've made some big strides recently," Nootbaar said. "So, that's the exciting part. Not rushing or anything, but just been feeling really good. ... No day yet, we'll see. We don't want to rush. We've kind of just been progressing as I progress. Since I've been in Florida, I've been progressing really well. We have optimism."

Clearly, he's trending in the right direction. Starting a running progression over the course of the weekend is another step in the right direction. If that goes off without a hitch, maybe this is a sign of game action to come in the not-so-distant future as well.

The fact that Nootbaar is beginning the season on the Injured List shouldn't concern the fanbase at the moment. That isn't shocking. What's more important at this point is the fact that he will start running. St. Louis' Opening Day left field is still up in the air, but Nootbaar's time is coming.