The St. Louis Cardinals could use a little boost to their lineup now. They've somewhat recovered from a disastrous start to the year, but they still need to do a lot of work. That includes getting some of their guys back from the injury list. Now, St. Louis is getting healthier with the return of Lars Nootbaar from the injury list.
OF Lars Nootbaar has been activated from the 10-day IL.
1B/OF Juan Yepez has been optioned to Memphis (AAA). pic.twitter.com/juXsLHWLmt
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 15, 2023
Nootbaar first became a fan favorite in St. Louis due to his exuberant personality. The star center fielder was an animated guy from the sidelines, often being the loudest in the Cardinals dugout. In 2022, though, Nootbaar became more than a cheerleader for the team: he provided offense for a team reeling from the loss of one of their outfielders.
The World Baseball Classic introduced other MLB fans to the marvels of Lars Nootbaar, though. Nootbaar played for Team Japan because of his mother's heritage, and the Cardinals star instantly hit it off with his teammates. The Cardinals' pepper grinder celebration quickly spread around Japan.
Nootbaar has been out of contention for the Cardinals since Opening Day due to a thumb injury he suffered in that game. The Cardinals have since posted a losing record in his absence. His return to the lineup adds more consistency to a hitting core that is keeping the team alive during this rough stretch.
The Cardinals are falling far behind the NL Central standings. Heck, even the Pirates are above them in the standings right now! We'll see if the return of Lars Nootbaar reinvigorates the St. Louis squad.
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