St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is reportedly going to begin the 2026 season on the injured list, according to William Ladson. The outfielder is dealing with a heel injury and a timeline for a return has yet to be revealed. The Cardinals are rebuilding and could have a difficult season in 2026, and Nootbaar's injury absence will only make winning even more challenging.
The Cardinals are preparing for Opening Day at the moment. They are obviously hopeful that Nootbaar will not have to spend too much time on the injured list.
Nootbaar, 28, has played at the big league level with St. Louis since the 2021 campaign. While he is not a star, Nootbaar has been a fairly productive player. He holds a career .747 OPS. However, he had a down season in 2025 despite playing in a career-high 135 games.
Nootbaar ultimately slashed .234/.325/.361 across 583 plate appearances. He added 13 home runs, 24 doubles, 68 runs scored and 48 RBI.
It is worth noting that Nootbaar could emerge as a trade candidate this season. As mentioned, the Cardinals are in the middle of a rebuild. Meanwhile, Nootbaar is set to enter free agency following the 2027 season. Moving on from him before the trade deadline would allow the Cardinals to maximize his potential trade value.
Of course, the current focus is on Nootbaar's injury status. He is working hard to return as soon as possible. The Cardinals will monitor and provide updates on his status as they are made available.
As for Opening Day, the Cardinals will play the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday at 4:15 PM EST.
