Nootbaar calls D-backs a 'perfect fit' in first days with club

PHOENIX -- Lars Nootbaar already feels at home in Arizona.

The 28-year-old outfielder was acquired from the Cardinals on Monday in exchange for Minor League pitchers Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana, as well as a player to be named later, but he already has ties to the area despite spending the entirety of his six Major League seasons with the Cardinals.

He made his D-backs debut against the Padres on Tuesday, hitting sixth as DH. Nootbaar finished 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored in Arizona’s 9-4 loss.

Nootbaar hails from El Segundo, Calif., attended USC and played with the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League in 2021. He’s also joining friend and former Cardinals teammate Nolan Arenado, who played five seasons in St. Louis from 2021-25.

Those add up to a recipe for what Nootbaar called “a perfect fit.”

“I don't think there could be a better spot for me, and I'm super excited about it,” he said before Tuesday’s game. “I just think, playing in this ballpark, playing with these guys, I just think it's a perfect fit for me.”

In fact, Nootbaar and Arenado enjoyed dinner together at their favorite sushi spot in Scottsdale just a few weeks ago when the Cardinals were in Phoenix.

Arizona took two of three in that series, including a dramatic, 10-inning come-from-behind win that spurred a second-half surge for the D-backs. The D-backs occupy one of the National League’s three Wild Card positions, and are two games up on both the Padres and Marlins heading into Tuesday’s action.

“We had a 7-0 lead, and these guys were feisty enough and clawed back,” he said. “That's the mentality that I've seen as the opposition, that these guys are never out of any game, and they've played well enough to will themselves and play into a Wild Card spot.”

Manager Torey Lovullo said he expects Nootbaar, who is under contract through the 2027 season, to have an immediate impact both on the field and in the clubhouse. Lovullo pointed to his patience at the plate on Tuesday as a perfect example of how he’ll quickly gel with the D-backs.

“That's what he is, and he fits right into our program,” Lovullo said. “We believe in guys checking off pitches they can't hit, working counts, going deep into counts and driving up overall pitch counts, so getting on base via the walk is just as valuable as a hit.”

Nootbaar has taken 278 career walks, including 26 in 287 plate appearances this season. He is a career .241 hitter, and is averaging .231 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 49 games this season.

“When healthy, he's a very, very good baseball player, and he's going to fit right into this group,” Lovullo said. “I know he's played center field, and there's an option there at some point.

“I just want him to get comfortable and get into [first base coach] Dave McKay's program, just run around out there and make sure that he's in a good spot before we transition him into different positions.”

Nootbaar has remained relatively healthy since making his big league debut in 2021, but spent time on the 60-day injured list following a bilateral haglund’s deformity excision on Oct. 7, 2025.

The procedure removed bone spurs from his heels, and required a lengthy rehab process. His recovery included time in a wheelchair, followed by the use of two walking boots with crutches, and he said he does not expect to be 100 percent until he is one year removed from surgery.

For now, though, it’s tracking the gains, and making sure there are no setbacks.

“With that, will come more bursts and more speed,” Nootbaar said. “I think with the range of motion, with the lack of pain, all the different things, athleticism will come, and so that's the exciting part for me.”

His recovery will continue as the D-backs’ postseason chase continues to heat up, but Lovullo was pleased with what he saw from Nootbaar in his first appearance as a Diamondback.

“We're gonna try and capitalize on what some of his strengths are as we get to know him,” Lovullo said. “So far, so good.”

Just a day into his Arizona tenure, though, the vibes are already home, sweet home in the desert.

“I got a little scenery change, and now we're running with a team that's holding a Wild Card spot, and it's exciting,” he said. “I feel pretty good, and I'm excited to be around a good group of guys to learn from.