Promising St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who was expected to have a breakout year in 2024, may now begin the season on the injured list due to an issue with his ribs.
A recent CT scan revealed that the soreness he had been experiencing for about a week was caused by two fractured ribs, sustained while making a catch at the left field wall during a game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Although Nootbaar continued to play in that game and even took another at-bat, the lingering pain led the Cardinals to investigate further. Team president John Mozeliak is adopting a “wait-and-see” approach to Nootbaar’s injury, monitoring it day by day. Nootbaar expressed his frustration and disappointment, as both he and the team had high hopes for the 2024 season, which now face a setback.
Nootbaar, 26, will not be participating in games but will remain active at Roger Dean Stadium. He can lift weights, use the stationary bike and elliptical machine, and stood in the batter’s box to track pitches during a live batting practice session on Friday. However, he has been advised against running the bases or playing in the field for now.
As the Cardinals prepare for the upcoming season, injuries have already affected the team. While Mozeliak is optimistic that Lars Nootbaar will be ready by opening day, he acknowledges that the situation is not ideal.
“It’s not ideal. So the level of concern is real. But you always have to remind yourself that April 1 isn’t the entire season either. So being patient and getting these guys back to where we think they are best suited to be successful is more important than maybe some time missed.”
Mozeliak stated, “Over the course of the next 10 to 14 days, we just monitor and see where he’s at. At that point, we’ll know if it’s more of a concern for opening day or not. Right now, we’re going to be patient.”
Nootbaar is not the only player on the Cardinals dealing with injuries. Utilityman Tommy Edman has been sidelined all spring, and Sonny Gray, a recent free-agent signing, is expected to miss his opening-day start. The team is focused on regaining full health as they approach a critical juncture in 2024. The Cardinals will start their season on March 28 in Los Angeles against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers.
