Lars Nootbaar Injury: When Cardinals Outfielder Could Return

The St. Louis Cardinals announced some bad news on the eve Opening Day.

St. Louis announced its official Opening Day roster on Wednesday and in the process, announced that Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 60-Day Injured List.

"OF Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 60-day IL (bilateral Haglund’s Deformity excision)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Hunter Dobbins has been placed on the 15-day IL (right knee ACL reconstruction-rehab)."

Absolutely brutal. It's not a surprise that Nootbaar is going to be missing time to kick off the season, but the 60-Day IL is a tough hit for the club. Nootbaar underwent surgery on both of his heels this past offseason to address Haglund’s Deformities in both of his heels. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom was asked about the 60-Day IL as an option for Nootbaar on Monday and noted at the time that the Cardinals hadn't "mapped" out Nootbaar's recovery timeline.

The Cardinals won't have Lars Nootbaar for a while

Sep 12, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) strikes out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Clearly, the Cardinals don't expect Nootbaar to be ready in the near future. With him now on the 60-Day IL, the clock starts on Opening Day on Thursday. That means that the absolute earliest he could return is the end of May if he can return right when he is eligible. It was known that Nootbaar would miss time throughout the offseason, but this is still somewhat of a surprise.

Nootbaar said on March 17 that he has been making "big strides" in his recovery. Also, he was scheduled to begin a running progression this past weekend. Nootbaar has been making progress, but Haglund’s Deformities aren't the most common injuries in baseball.

With Nootbaar on the 60-Day IL, that certainly opens the door even further for Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and José Fermín. These three made the Cardinals' roster out of camp while Nelson Velázquez was sent down to the minors. They will get an extended look. With Nootbaar caught up in trade rumors this past offseason, this does give the team plenty of time to see if they have a replacement on their roster for him already.

If none of the three step up and Velázquez shines down in the minors, he should get a shot at some point too. Regardless, Nootbaar isn't going to be ready to go until at least the end of May and the clock is ticking. If any of the three replacement options can step up, it could make Nootbaar expendable as well.