Why Cardinals Aren’t Worried About Lars Nootbaar’s Late Spring Training Arrival

The St. Louis Cardinals officially kicked off Spring Training on Thursday after a long and very eventful offseason.

St. Louis pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report to camp by Thursday. There are some position players already in town as well as the Chaim Bloom era kicks off. He took over as the team's president of baseball operations once the 2025 season came to an end and this will be his first Spring Training leading the charge with the organization.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

He showed throughout the offseason that he isn't afraid to get bold. Trading Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray away certainly fits that description. Another name that was initially out there in trade rumors was outfielder Lars Nootbaar, but the club did not move him. Nootbaar is still with the organization and is rehabbing after undergoing surgery on both of his heels.

The Cardinals outfielder won't be in camp right away

Aug 31, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) high fives teammates after scoring on a sacrifice fly out hit by designated hitter Ivan Herrera (not pictured) in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Pitchers and catchers reported Thursday and the first full squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 16. While this is the case, Nootbaar will not be in town. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that the reason why is that in his rehab, he has worked his way up using an altered gravity treadmill, which the team doesn't currently have in camp.

"Lars Nootbaar will be a couple days delayed in reporting to camp as a consequence of his rehab," Jones wrote. "He is in a spot in his progression where he’s running on an altered gravity treadmill, and the Cardinals have not yet had one delivered (but will) because of the construction."

So, nothing to worry about, Cardinals fans. Nootbaar is still with the organization and doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. He's working his way back from offseason surgery and hopefully won't miss too much time to kick off the 2026 campaign. As of writing, a firm timeline has not been provided by the team. Fortunately, he is still with the club and hopefully his offseason surgery leads to a big 2026 campaign.

More MLB: Brendan Donovan Breaks Silence on Cardinals-Mariners Trade