ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is expected to begin game activity around May 10 as he continues progressing toward a return from offseason surgery on both heels, manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday.
Nootbaar has been rehabbing at the Cardinals’ Spring Training complex in Jupiter, Fla., while working his way back from procedures to address Haglund’s deformities in both heels. Marmol said the next step in the process will resemble a condensed version of Spring Training, with Nootbaar building back up through live at-bats and game-speed running progression.
“We’ve come out of that feeling really good,” Marmol said. “Now we’re a week away or so from him starting games, which is awesome.”
Nootbaar is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list on May 24, and the Cardinals are tentatively lining him up for a return sometime around the end of the month. Marmol said the organization’s goal is for Nootbaar to immediately resume an everyday role once he is activated.
“When he comes back, he’s a regular baseball player,” Marmol said.
Before the injury, Nootbaar was one of the Cardinals’ more productive on-base hitters. His 12.8% walk rate is best among St. Louis hitters since his debut in 2021, to go along with a .341 career on-base percentage and 58 home runs across parts of five Major League seasons.