What Cardinals Can Expect from Lars Nootbaar After Long Absence

The Cardinals are getting a boost on Friday.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals will be getting a major boost on Friday night as they welcome outfielder Lars Nootbaar back after a long stay on the injured list. He had surgery on both heels last offseason, and it took him out of the lineup for opening day and kept him out for close to three months.

However, the time has come for the fan favorite outfielder to return and help the team continue their strong start to the season. It's been a long road, but fans will certainly be excited to see Nootbaar back.

On 101 ESPN, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talked about what the Cardinals and their fans can expect from Nootbaar after his long absence.

What to expect from Lars Nootbaar

Sep 6, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) at bat against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"There's been very encouraging reports, both about his health, but also about his baseball activities," Goold said. "You can look at the box score and see some of the reassuring results there. You can watch some of the video clips that the minor league teams have put up and see a very familiar Lars Nootbaar, both with his swing and approach.

"They think that over time, there may be more explosiveness to his game because of his health. Whatever limitations he had because of pain, irritation and inflammation that now should be corrected. There's just going to be more explosiveness and more athleticism to his game."

Nootbaar had been fighting through pain in his heels for the past several years. But with that issue corrected, there is certainly merit to what Goold is saying. Goold also says that the results may take some time, but the Cardinals will be interested to see how he looks in the field and how he recovers from each game.

This is certainly a big step forward for Nootbaar. This is also a year in which the Cardinals can worry less about results and make sure Nootbaar is back to full strength.

That might take some time, but he had a lot of time to recover, and his presence should give the Cardinals lineup a boost after some tough luck offensively. It also allows them to have one more outfield option and some added depth in that area, which should set the Cardinals up well for the rest of the season.

It will be interesting to see how Nootbaar does in his return on Friday. He should fit right in with the youthful energy of this team.