ST. LOUIS – The Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the injured list on Friday, a move that should provide a jolt to a lineup that has proven to be top heavy in the last month.
Nootbaar will make his season debut in the opener against the Reds, hitting leadoff and playing left field. It's his first Major League action this season after he had surgery on both heels in October. Nootbaar completed his 20-day Minor League rehab on Wednesday -- in essence his Spring Training -- on a high note, belting a home run while going 2-for-5 with a walk for Triple-A Memphis.
Nootbaar said it feels like Opening Day for him.
“Excited to be back with these guys,” Nootbaar said. “Obviously, they've been playing some good ball, and so be able to integrate with these guys, it's a lot of fun.”
There was wide speculation as to where Nootbaar would bat in the Cardinals lineup upon his return with rookie JJ Wetherholt being cemented as the team’s leadoff hitter. But with Wetherholt nursing a sore groin, Nootbaar slides immediately into the leadoff role.
“There's no reason to push through it,” manager Oli Marmol said of the Wetherholt injury. “All imaging has come back clean. We wanted to buy him a few days. Our hope is that he can go through the next couple days feeling good and is potentially available after today, but we'll read how today goes.”
Nootbaar, 28, has a career batting average of .242 with 58 homers, 194 RBIs and a .747 OPS over five big league seasons. He has played all three outfield positions in his career, but figures to slot into left field for the majority of his games this season for St. Louis.
Once Wetherholt returns, Nootbaar figures to add needed length to the Cardinals' lineup. St. Louis' 5-9 hitters have batted a combined .218 with 28 homers and 128 RBIs, compared to a .266 average with 37 homers and 132 RBIs generated by the top four spots.
Nootbaar said he got over the “mental hurdle” of being able to go full throttle during his stint at Memphis.
“I'm sure there'll be certain things throughout the season where I'd previously have been hesitant,” Nootbaar said. “I'm going to break through those barriers, but like I said, that's going to take some time and some reps, but I'm excited.”
Infielder Thomas Saggese was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move. Saggese hit .184 with a homer and 4 RBIs coming off the bench for St. Louis.
“I think he's a good hitter,” Marmol said of Saggese. “I think he could be a really nice little player, and the only way we're going to accomplish that is if he, at his age, can go down and get a decent amount of work done and be in the lineup every day, and hone in on the skills that are there. But being a bench player at his age doesn't make sense. We were forced into that based on need.”
The Cardinals also made two other roster moves, placing right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez (low back pain) on the 15-day injured list and recalling righty Matt Svanson from Memphis.