St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) is likely to miss an extended period of time. On Friday, Cards manager Oli Marmol told reporters that Nootbaar is dealing with a moderate oblique strain that is expected to force him to miss several weeks. An extended absence usually requires a stint minor league rehab stint as well. Fantasy managers should expect Nootbaar to be out at least a month. In the meantime, Alec Burleson should see increased playing time going forward.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 30) with a left-oblique strain on Friday and recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar is most likely going to miss more than 10 days after injuring himself on a check swing during the win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. The oft-injured 26-year-old opened the year on the IL as well due to fractured ribs and has been very frustrating to roster in fantasy. He's still worth holding onto if you have the room in deeper leagues, though, as he was hitting a strong .313/.418/.552 with four home runs in his last 79 plate appearances. Nootbaar's injury will mean more consistent playing time for Alec Burleson and Dylan Carlson, as well as veteran Matt Carpenter.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (side) was removed from Wednesday's win over the Cincinnati Reds early in the bottom of the eighth inning after he appeared to strain something in his left side on a check swing in the top of the seventh inning. Nootbaar stayed in the game for an inning before eventually being replaced by Dylan Carlson in right field. Before departing, the 26-year-old went 2-for-4 with two singles and a strikeout to raise his season average to .234 with a .741 OPS. For a player that has already had his fair share of injuries early in his career, this isn't a good sign and could easily send him back to the injured list after he got a late start to the 2024 season. If Nootbaar's injury keeps him out for 10 days or more, Carlson will get a boost in playing time. Check back for more news on the specific nature of Nootbaar's injury.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) is back in Tuesday's lineup against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and left-hander Andrew Abbott. After dealing with tightness in his left hamstring for the past two games, Nootbaar will return for the Cardinals sooner than expected to start in right field and bat second on Tuesday. The 26-year-old on-base machine is slashing a modest .227/.338/.409 with five home runs, 19 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 155 plate appearances (37 games) as an everyday player in St. Louis' outfield this season, so he's been very limited from a fantasy perspective. The lefty-hitting Nootbaar has gone just 8-for-44 (.182) with no homers against left-handed pitching, and he won't be a recommended DFS option against Abbott.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) is not in Monday's lineup due to a hamstring injury. Nootbaar was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to this issue and will once again be sitting on the bench. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol expressed that the injury us "day-to-day" and that "we don't see it lingering." For now Nootbaar should remain stashed and could be activated as soon as later this week. As a result, Dylan Carlson will man right field and should be faded in DFS as he will face Cincinnati southpaw Nick Lodolo, who enters Monday with a 3.34 ERA and stellar 0.94 WHIP.

The St. Louis Cardinals scratched outfielder Lars Nootbaar (hamstring) from their game on Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Cubs after he felt a twinge in his hamstring on Saturday. Manager Oliver Marmol said Nootbaar could easily play through it, but he thought it best to rest Nootbaar in the series finale. St. Louis' starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds isn't posted yet, so fantasy managers will need to check back to see if Nootbaar is back in there before returning him to your starting lineups. With the 26-year-old out on Sunday, veteran Matt Carpenter served as the team's designated hitter in the win. Nootbaar got a late start to the season due to injury and is now hitting .227 (30-for-132) with five home runs, 19 RBI, three stolen bases and 14 runs scored in 2024 in his first 37 games played.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar went 3-for-5 in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Cubs. One of his hits was a triple and the 26-year-old also stole his third base of the season. Nootbaar struggled when he initially came off the IL, however, over the last 12 games the left-handed hitter is slashing .341/.460/.561 with a .444 wOBA, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. The former eighth-round draft pick is making good contact (83.3% Contact%), has a 52.0% HardHit% (93rd percentile), and a strong BB% of 14.2% (95th percentile) on the season. With an xBA almost 50 points higher than his current batting average, it seems like there is room for this hot streak to run, and he's rostered in just 38% of Yahoo leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar went 1-for-5 with a solo home run to drive in the team's lone run in Thursday's 7-1 loss to the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers in the series opener. Nootbaar has now homered in back-to-back games but is still hitting only .184/.290/.356 with three home runs, nine RBI, two stolen bases and eight runs scored in 87 at-bats after getting a late start in 2024 due to an injury. In his last 10 games, he's hit .184 (7-for-38) with five extra-base hits. It's nice to see Nootbaar display some power recently, and it could be a sign that he's finally starting to get his timing down at the plate after his first 24 games played. At least until Tommy Edman (wrist) makes his season debut, Nootbaar should be a lineup regular for the Red Birds.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar homered in his first game of 2024, a two-run shot in the third inning of Friday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks. It was his only hit of the contest though, going 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. Nootbaar had been dealing with a rib injury, but now that he's back he can provide fantasy managers with a significant run boost, also adding a little pop and a little speed. Last season the lefty hitter belted 14 home runs, stole 11 bases, and came across the plate 74 times in 117 games. The 26-year-old also has a keen eye at the plate with a career 14.0% BB%. He's rostered in just 41% of Yahoo leagues, so he'll probably become a popular waiver wire add.

The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) from the 10-day injured list on Thursday and optioned catcher Pedro Pages to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Nootbaar is recovered from two non-displaced fractures in his left rib cage and will make his 2024 debut on Friday on the road in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old didn't swing the bat well on his minor-league rehab assignment, but the only takeaway is that he's healthy now and ready to play every day for the Cardinals in left field, especially with Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) still sidelined. In the last two years, Nootbaar has hit 28 home runs and stolen 15 bases in just 225 games played, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination if he's available.

If St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol continues to feel that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is pointed in the right direction, he could be activated from the injured list on Friday and make his season debut in Arizona against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. Nootbaar could be playing in his final minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Double-A Springfield if he comes out of that contest feeling good. The 26-year-old is recovering from two non-displaced rib fractures that forced him to open the season on the injured list, but he's surely worth a waiver-wire pickup if he's available in mixed fantasy leagues because of his power-speed combination. When healthy, Nootbaar is going to play regularly for the Cardinals, especially with Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) still sidelined.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) will not come off the injured list on Monday and will return to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday to get in more at-bats in the minors. Nootbaar took batting practice on Monday at Busch Stadium and is trying to regain his timing at the plate after being out since early March with rib fractures. The 26-year-old left-handed swinger has gone 3-for-17 in five minor-league contests as he ramps up and would like some more at-bats before he makes his big-league debut for the Cardinals. Once he's activated from the injured list, rookie Victor Scott II could be sent back to the farm after going 3-for-36 (.083) with a stolen base, two walks and 11 strikeouts in his first 39 major-league plate appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Tuesday. The left-handed outfielder will draw the start in center field for Tuesday's game with Triple-A Memphis. The 26-year-old is working his way back from two fractures in his ribcage that has sidelined him since early March. The expectation is that Nootbaar is going to need at least a handful of games before returning to the Cardinals lineup. It's uncertain who will get sent down in a corresponding move, but it'll likely be youngster Victor Scott.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) will likely begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. He had four at-bats and got five innings of work in a simulated game in Florida. The 26-year-old is eligible to come off the injured list on Thursday. He had two non-displaced fractures in his left ribcage in spring training and has been sidelined since early March. He slashed .261/.367/.418 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 74 runs, and 11 stolen bases over 503 plate appearances in 2023. Barring any setbacks, Nootbaar is trending in the right direction and could be activated from the injured list next week. Nootbaar is expected to be the team's everyday left fielder when he returns, and fantasy managers searching for outfield help can look to add him in all league formats.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is expected to hit against right-hander Sonny Gray (hamstring) in a simulated game on Friday. Nootbaar was forced to open the regular season on the injured list due to two non-displaced fractured in his left rib cage, but he's advancing to facing live pitching and could return to the team as early as April 4 as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks. The Cardinals could use him back, too, with Tommy Edman (wrist) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder) also opening the year on the IL. Thumb, back and abdominal issues sent the 26-year-old to the IL three separate times last year, too, but he still managed to match his career-high with 14 home runs while also stealing a career-high 11 bases in 117 games. If Nootbaar can ever put injuries behind him, he'll be an intriguing everyday power/speed guy for the Cards.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (rib) took soft-toss swings on Sunday and Monday in camp without ill effects from the rib fractures on his left side. Nootbaar is slated to be the team's regular in left field in 2024, but he is going to open the 2024 regular season on the 10-day injured list due to his injury. "Nootbaar swung [Sunday] and [Monday], and I was able to see video of his swings today and it looked really good. His body is responding well," manager Oliver Marmol said. The 26-year-old outfielder's health is of even more importance now that Dylan Carlson (shoulder) got hurt on Monday. Tommy Edman (wrist) is also opening the season on the IL. If Nootbaar can ever avoid injuries once and for all in 2024, he could be a breakout candidate because of his power/speed profile.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is going to open the regular season on the injured list. This was expected, but Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol confirmed the news on Friday. The left-handed slugger continues working his way back from fractures in his ribcage. At the moment, it looks like Alec Burleson is the favorite to handle left field in the absence of Nootbaar. Burleson doesn't hold a ton of value, but could be a possible deep league option or maybe worth a shot in NL-only formats.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs) is making progress from his rib fractures. "He feels better every day. He still feels (the ribs) a little bit, but he's progressing. He was able to do some rotational stuff (on Wednesday) and we'll see what the next 4-5 days look like," Marmol said. The 26-year-old still doesn't have a timetable for when he might return to spring training games, though, and it's more likely than not that he'll open the 2024 regular season on the injured list. Injuries also put a damper on his 2023 campaign, but when he was healthy, Nootbaar was impressive with the bat, clubbing 14 home runs and stealing 11 bases in 117 games. He should be a regular when healthy and has some intriguing power/speed upside for fantasy managers as a late-round flier.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar has suffered two nondisplaced fractures in his ribs on the left side. It was reported yesterday that Nootbaar was going to go in for testing for a torso injury which will now take 10-14 days while his swings in that time will depend on pain tolerance. The 26-year-old was injured attempting to field a fly ball on Saturday, getting twisted up and falling to the ground. He was enjoying a nice start to his spring as he is 4-for-9 with two walks and a stolen base across 11 plate appearances in Cactus League action. He was projected by ATC to hit 18 home runs and steal nine bases across 123 games but his status for Opening Day is unsure. He remains a solid option in the outfield with a 203.2 ADP.