The Cardinals announced that outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 60-day injured list. That is presumably to open a 40-man roster spot for prospect JJ Wetherholt, as it was reported a few days ago that Wetherholt would make the Opening Day roster.
It’s an unfortunate development for both Nootbaar and the Cardinals. The outfielder is coming off a down season during which he produced a .234/.325/.361 line and 96 wRC+. That was a notable drop-off from his three prior seasons, as he hit a combined .246/.351/.426 for a 118 wRC+ during that span.
In October, he underwent surgery on both heels to shave down Haglund’s deformities, which are essentially painful bumps of bone. In the wake of that procedure, it was expected that Nootbaar could have a chance to be ready for Opening Day. It became more and more apparent that he was going to start on the IL as spring training kept going on without him appearing in a game. Now he is not only landing on the IL but it’s the 60-day version. That allows the Cards to open a 40-man spot but means Nootbaar can’t rejoin the team until late May even in a best-case scenario.
More to come.
