Amid their best stretch of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals received bad news regarding starting right fielder Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals announced Friday that Nootbaar was placed on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain, retroactive to May 30. St. Louis is recalling infielder Jose Fermin to take Nootbaar's spot on the active roster.

Nootbaar appeared to favor his left side after taking a swing in the top of the seventh inning of a Cardinals win on Wednesday. He remained in the game and reached base via an infield single but was removed in the bottom of the eighth.

Injuries have unfortunately been a significant part of Nootbaar's professional career. The 26-year-old has been on the injured list on five separate occasions since the start of the 2023 season.

This marks the second time Nootbaar has hit the injured list this season. He missed the first two weeks of the season rehabbing from a rib contusion he suffered in late March.

When healthy, Nootbaar is an everyday player for the Cardinals and was finally heating up after inconsistencies at the plate. He collected seven hits in his last four games and reached base safely in nine of his last 10 games. Nootbaar had a .275 batting average in 22 May games.

Overall in 2024, Nootbaar is a .234 hitter with five home runs, 19 RBIs and 14 runs in 39 games.

Replacing Lars Nootbaar in the lineup is becoming a regular occurrence for the Cardinals, one they are none too pleased to do. Some players just can't stay healthy though, as has been the case for Nootbaar over the past two seasons.

Cardinals hitting their stride as June approaches

Lofty expectations loomed over the Cardinals before the season after a disastrous 2023. Two months into the 2024 campaign, St. Louis finally looks to be pushing the right buttons.

Wednesday's win over the Cincinnati Reds marked the Cardinals' fifth consecutive series win with St. Louis improving to 8-2 across its last 10 games. At 27-27, the Cardinals are back to .500 for the first time since April 17.

St. Louis is trying to emerge from a group of NL Central teams tasked with catching the Milwaukee Brewers for the division title. The second-place Cardinals are five games behind the Brewers, one less game that separates St. Louis and fifth-place Cincinnati.

There was a question a few weeks ago as to whether the Cardinals would be sellers at the trade deadline. Those seem to be put to bed for now and will only grow quieter if St. Louis continues to trend upward.

The Cardinals will attempt to keep their hot streak going with a challenging series against the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. The Phillies enter the three-game set with the best record in baseball. A series win on the road could act as the turning point for St. Louis' season.