St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (heel) left Sunday's matchup against the Cubs due to heel soreness. Nootbaar, batting .288 with 21 hits (five doubles), six RBI, and three homers in July, went 0-for-3 before being replaced by Jordan Walker. The Cardinals will hit the road and head for Arizona to meet the Diamondbacks on Monday evening. However, there's a chance Nootbaar won't be out there, although there should be an update soon.

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Nolan Gorman and outfielder Lars Nootbaar are both out of Friday's lineup against left-hander Justin Steele and the division-rival Chicago Cubs. Jose Fermin will get the start at second base and bat in the nine-hole, while Andrew Knizner gets the start behind the plate and bats eighth. Willson Contreras will serve as the designated hitter and bat cleanup. Dylan Carlson is starting in center field and batting leadoff. Gorman is hitting a decent .257 (9-for-35) against lefties in 2023, but he has only two of his 19 homers against them. Meanwhile, Nootbaar is hitting only .214 (12-for-56) against southpaws with no home runs and six RBI. Carlson will be a sneaky DFS play on Friday out of the leadoff spot. He's gone 17-for-58 (.293) against lefties this year.

The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) from the injured list on Monday and optioned first baseman Luken Baker to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar returns to the club for the first time since May 29 after managing two home runs as part of a four-hit attack in his final minor-league rehab game on Sunday for Double-A Springfield. He will return to a regular role in the outfield for the Red Birds, at least against right-handed pitching. Before landing on the injured list with a lower-back contusion, the 25-year-old left-handed hitter was batting .266 (41-for-184) with seven doubles, four home runs, 21 RBI, five stolen bases and 25 runs scored in 42 games (184 plate appearances).

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) could potentially make his return to the field versus the Washington Nationals on Monday. He started his minor league rehab assignment earlier this week and will be re-evaluated on Sunday. Nootbaar put together a four-hit performance on Sunday. He appears ready to make his return, but fantasy managers will have to wait and check back on Monday. Nootbaar has been sidelined since late May due to a back contusion.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) will join Triple-A Memphis and is expected to start a minor-league rehab assignment soon. The Cardinals are hopeful that Nootbaar will be ready to rejoin the big-league roster before the trip to London to face the Chicago Cubs next weekend. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has been sidelined since May 29 with his back injury, but he should return to a regular role in the Red Birds' outfield when he's deemed ready to be reinstated from the injured list. Nootbaar hasn't stood out offensively in any one category this year, as he's hitting .266 (41-for-154) with seven doubles, four home runs, 21 RBI, five stolen bases and 25 runs scored in 184 plate appearances over 42 games.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) is still experiencing discomfort and is limited in his baseball activity, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Nootbaar is a ways away from a minor-league rehab assignment. It sounds as though Tommy Edman will continue to see the majority of repetitions in center field, even with Dylan Carlson returning from the injured list on Friday. The 25-year-old has been out since late last month and was eligible to return from the 10-day IL on Friday, but he's obviously going to need more time. Nootbaar was hitting .266 (41-for-154) with an excellent .380 on-base percentage, seven doubles, four homers, 21 RBI, five stolen bases and 25 runs in 184 plate appearances over 42 games.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 30. The left-handed slugger is dealing with a lower-back contusion that he suffered during Monday's contest. Originally, the team thought it was a day-to-day issue, but they have decided to give Nootbaar some extended rest. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jordan Walker has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis. The top prospect played 19 games with the Cardinals earlier in the season before being sent down to the minors. He slashed .274/.321/.397 with two home runs and 11 RBI in those 19 contests. Fantasy managers should make sure to double check the waiver wire to see if Walker is available.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (back) was forced to exit early during Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals. It sounds like the 25-year-old was removed due to back spasms. He suffered the injury while tracking down a flyball in the third inning. This doesn't sound like a serious injury, so fantasy managers should consider Nootbaar day-to-day. The Cardinals have a few off days coming up this week, so Nootbaar might not end up missing much time.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The left-handed slugger will get a rest day after playing in 29 straight contests. The 25-year-old outfielder is batting .258/.384/.371 with three homers, 15 RBI and five stolen bases in 34 games. Oscar Mercado will cover center field and bat eighth versus lefty Brandon Williamson on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar stayed hot at the dish Sunday, going 3-for-6 with a couple of doubles and three runs scored as the Cards routed the Boston Red Sox 9-1. He improves his slash line to .302/.432/.448 and has added three homers, 17 runs, 13 RBI, and five stolen bases in 96 at-bats. Nootbaar has been a fixture at the top of the Cardinals lineup against right-handed pitching all season, and that is likely to continue as the lefty has been an on-base machine. He is a must-roster player in any standard-size or deeper leagues and should be rostered in any points league regardless of size.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) is set to swing a bat on Monday. The 25-year-old outfielder hasn't picked up a bat since jamming his left thumb on Opening Day. He was subsequently placed on the 10-day injured list on April 3. It's nice to see Nootbaar progress in his rehab but he's unlikely to be activated at the 10-day mark of his IL stint, according to reports. The team wants to see how his thumb responds to swinging and he's still yet to catch with it. He's got a shot to rejoin the Cards before their four-game series with the Pirates that begins on Thursday but fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status closely.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) hasn't played since Opening Day when he injured his left thumb on a slide into third base, but he's scheduled to take batting practice with the team on April 10, according to manager Oliver Marmol. If he can get through that session without pain in his thumb, he could be immediately activated from the 10-day injured list. Nootbaar landed on the IL on April 3 (retroactive to March 31) and said he's still having more trouble wearing a glove and catching balls than swinging a bat. When he does return, the 25-year-old will wear a protective "oven mitt" over his hand when running the bases. There's a chance Nootbaar could be activated on Monday, but it will depend on how his thumb holds up while swinging this weekend.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday. He suffered a left thumb injury on Opening Day and hasn't played since then. Luckily, the Cardinals don't believe Nootbaar will require a minor league rehab assignment. That means, Nootbaar might be able to get back on the field at some point next week. This is positive news for fantasy managers, but the team will likely wait and see before making anything official.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday, retroactive to March 31. Nootbaar had missed three straight games after suffering a contusion on his left thumb on Opening Day. The Cardinals recalled Juan Yepez from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move to take Nootbaar's spot on the active roster. Nootbaar has one hit and a run in four at-bats this season. He will hopefully be ready to return after a minimum stay on the IL.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Nootbaar jammed his thumb while sliding into third base during Thursday's season opener. He hasn't been able to play since then, but the team doesn't believe that Nootbaar will require a trip to the injured list. In the meantime, Alec Burleson will cover left field and bat second versus right-hander Charlie Morton on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder Lars Nootbaar (thumb) is not in the lineup on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told reporters that Nootbaar jammed his thumb in Thursday's game while sliding into third base. The injury is not expected to lead to an IL stint but the talented 25-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now. Alec Burleson is starting in left field in Nootbaar's place against Kevin Gausman and the Jays. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on this situation to make sure Nootbaar is on track to return early next week.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is not in the starting lineup on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Alec Burleson will get the start in left field in the team's second game of the season, and he'll hit second against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. On Opening Day on Thursday, Nootbaar was in the two-hole for the Red Birds and went 1-for-4 with a run scored, two walks and a strikeout in a 10-9 loss. Those that invested in the 25-year-old this year can't be happy with the fact that he's already on the bench against a right-handed pitcher in just the second game of the year. Thirteen of his 14 homers last year came against righties, but he also hit just .217 against them.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is expected to get a chance to bat leadoff, according to manager Oliver Marmol. The skipper mentioned that Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edmanand Nootbar would all get a chance in the leadoff spot. A move to the leadoff spot would likely slightly boost the fantasy value of Nootbar. He'd likely see more plate appearances and in theory would get better pitches to hit. Nootbar wasn't exactly great last season, but did hit 14 home runs in 108 games. He'll be someone to keep an eye on, assuming he earns legitimate playing time in St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielders Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar will sit out against JT Brubaker and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. Edman has played in 17 straight games for the Cardinals, and appears to just be getting a breather today. Nootbaar, on the other hand, has now been out of the starting lineup in three of the team's last eight games after playing in every game but one in August. To be fair, Nootbar has been ice cold, going hitless in his last 22 at-bats. With the Cardinals outfield jammed up, expect playing time to be distributed on a who's hot basis among these two, Tyler O'Neill, Corey Dickerson, and Brendan Donovan.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is absent from the team's starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. The team is going with Dylan Carlson, Harrison Bader and Tommy Edman in the outfield. Nootbaar has been a regular in the starting lineup lately, so it's a bit surprising to see him sitting out while Tyler O'Neill (back) is sidelined with a back injury for the second straight game. The 23-year-old Nootbaar has been hitting well for the Cardinals in August. He's started nine total games this month and he's appeared in a total of 15 games. Over that stretch, he's slashed .316/.366/.605 with three home runs, six RBI and six runs. He's worth waiver wire consideration in NL-only leagues and deep leagues, especially if O'Neill lands on the injured list.