St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is headed to the IL after straining his oblique during an at-bat on May 29. Nootbaar started to swing before holding off on a low pitch in the seventh inning of the win over the Cincinnati Reds. He walked away clutching his oblique but managed to finish the at-bat.
Nootbaar underwent an MRI on Friday, and the team announced he would be placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to May 30. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals called up Jose Fermin from their triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds. The injury is a setback for the Cardinals.
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Nootbaar has been impactful since rejoining the team. He began the season on the IL with a rib injury and has compiled a slash line of .234/.337/.404 in 39 games since his return on April 12. Despite a lower batting average, he has hit five home runs and driven in 19 RBIs. Nootbaar has shown a keen eye at the plate, boasting the 20th-best walk rate in the league and a solid hard-hit percentage of 52.8%, ranking 17th in the league.
Since his return from the IL, Nootbaar has started 38 of the Cardinals’ 41 games. According to Baseball Savant, he ranks in the top 17% of the league for defensive range among outfielders and in the top 25% for arm strength.
With Nootbaar sidelined, Dylan Carlson and Brendan Donovan will play larger roles in the Cardinals’ outfield. Donovan has posted a slash line of .245/.326/.382 in 52 games, while Carlson, who struggled since coming off the IL, has a slash line of .139/.244/.139 in 18 games. Carlson had a strong Spring Training before landing on the IL due to an outfield collision with Jordan Walker.
Fermin has been performing well in Triple-A this season, with a slash line of .346/.461/.615 in 32 games. He has hit six home runs with just five strikeouts and 19 walks, and has stolen 10 bases. Fermin appeared in 21 games with the Cardinals last season, posting a slash line of .235/.339/.255.
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