Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Expected to get look at leadoff
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Nootbaar is under consideration for the Cardinals' leadoff spot, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan appear to be the likeliest candidates to bat leadoff against righties and might fill the 1-2 slots in some order. That would give them plenty of run-scoring opportunities with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras behind them in the 3-4-5 spots. Tommy Edman is also in the mix at leadoff, although that might only be versus lefties.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Making waves in international play
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Nootbaar has gone 6-for-14 across four games for Japan at the World Baseball Classic.
Nootbaar has racked up three RBI, seven runs and two stolen bases while posting a 4:3 BB:K in those contests. The 25-year-old hasn't hurt his chances of landing a starting role in the Cardinals' crowded outfield, though he struggled by going 1-for-5 over two Grapefruit Leagues before his breakout on the international stage. Nootbaar's biggest threat for playing time is top prospect Jordan Walker, who is expected to push for time in right field. Nootbaar can play in all three outfield spots, with Dylan Carlson and Tyler O'Neill also in contention at those positions with the Cardinals.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Not in Sunday's lineup
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Nootbaar is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Nootbaar has been seeing the ball well of late, posting a 1.141 OPS over his last eight games, but that will not prevent him from opening Sunday's game on the bench. Alec Burleson will join the lineup in Nootbaar's place.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Gets Wednesday off
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Nootbaar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Nootbaar is one of several Cardinals regulars getting the day off for the series finale after St. Louis clinched the National League Central title with a 6-2 win Tuesday. Ben DeLuzio will take Nootbaar's spot in the outfield, manning center while batting ninth.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Collects three hits, homer
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Nootbaar went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double and an additional RBI in an 11-0 victory over the Dodgers on Friday.
Nootbaar doubled in the second inning, homered in the fifth off reliever Phil Bickford and singled home a run in the seventh for his fourth three-hit game of the season. The 25-year-old has slumped through most of September but has turned it around over the last two games, batting 4-for-7 with two home runs, a double and two walks.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Goes yard in win
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Nootbaar went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Padres.
Nootbaar snapped the Cardinals' long scoreless stretch with his fifth-inning homer. The outfielder is still mired in a brutal slump in September, going just 5-for-46 (.109), through three of those hits have been homers. The outfielder looked to have taken an everyday role in August, but he's now on the strong side of a platoon with Dylan Carlson in center field. Nootbaar is at 13 homers, 37 RBI, 46 runs scored and four stolen bases while slashing .219/.339/.438 through 304 plate appearances this year.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Not in Wednesday's lineup
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Nootbaar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Nootbaar is 3-for-40 over his past 17 games and will step out of the lineup Wednesday in San Diego. Dylan Carlson will take over in center field while Juan Yepez starts in right.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Not starting matinee
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Nootbaar isn't in the lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Reds, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Nootbaar hasn't started against a left-handed pitcher since Aug. 22 and will head to the bench with southpaw Mike Minor on the mound for Saturday's matinee. Dylan Carlson is starting in right field and batting fifth.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Hits solo shot in win
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Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Brewers.
Nootbaar began September 1-for-26 over his first nine games, though he's bounced back a bit. He's 2-for-6 with three walks over his last three contests, though the slump has cost him some playing time. The outfielder is up to 12 homers, 36 RBI, 44 runs scored, four stolen bases and a .224/.339/.443 slash line through 286 plate appearances this year. Alec Burleson is likely Nootbaar's primary competition for playing time in right field, but Burleson has gone just 2-for-12 with a walk and a run across four games since his first call-up.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Day off Saturday
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Nootbaar isn't starting Saturday against the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Nootbaar has gone 0-for-22 with a run, an RBI, a walk and eight strikeouts over the last seven games and will head to the bench for the second time in the last three matchups. Brendan Donovan will take his place in right field and lead off.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Not starting Thursday
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Nootbaar isn't starting Thursday against the Nationals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Nootbaar is getting a chance to reset after he went 0-for-17 with an RBI and six strikeouts over the last five games. Alec Burleson will draw the start in right field and bat ninth.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Sleeper hitters for Week 23 (Sept. 5-11)
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Even when the Cardinals try to take Nootbaar out of the lineup, he comes off the bench with two walks and a game-winning homer, as happened Wednesday. They have the second-best hitter matchups this week, going up against the hapless Nationals and Pirates rotations, but the way Nootbaar's last month has gone, he'd be worth starting regardless.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Out of lineup
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Nootbaar will sit Saturday against the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Nootbaar joins several of his left-handed teammates in hitting the bench against southpaw Drew Smyly. He had an everyday role throughout most of August but has now hit the bench against the last two lefties the Cardinals have faced. Dylan Carlson will get the start in right field.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Goes yard in win
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Nootbaar went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 8-0 win over the Cubs.
Nootbaar continues to flex power late in the season, as he's gone deep six times in his last 16 games, accounting for more than half of his 11 homers this year. In that span, he's added three doubles, a triple, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored while finding a home in the leadoff spot against right-handers. The surge at the plate has Nootbaar up to a .244/.360/.478 slash line with 34 RBI, 42 runs scored and four stolen bases through 253 plate appearances this year.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Productive off bench
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Nootbaar went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run, two walks and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Reds.
Nootbaar didn't start Wednesday, but he pinch hit for Paul DeJong in the ninth inning. Nootbaar drew a walk and stole second, but he was left aboard. The game turned into a marathon, with the outfielder supplying the decisive hit in the 13th inning, a two-run blast that gave the Cardinals their margin of victory. The 24-year-old homered five times over his last 15 games in August, going 16-for-53 (.302) with 13 walks in that span. He's up to 10 homers, 32 RBI, 41 runs scored and four steals through 78 contests overall.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Day off Wednesday
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Nootbaar isn't starting Wednesday against the Reds, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Nootbaar has been an everyday player for the Cardinals recently but will get a breather after he went just 2-for-17 with a homer, four runs, two RBI, two walks and three strikeouts over the last four games. Brendan Donovan will draw the start in right field and bat ninth.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Just how ingrained is Nootbaar in the Cardinals lineup now? Dylan Carlson, a player regarded as a possible deal-breaker in a prospective Juan Soto trade just a month ago, has now sat five the past six games, in part to accommodate the surging 24-year-old. Nootbaar homered to break up a no-hitter Sunday, giving him four home runs in his past 12 games with twice as many walks (10) as strikeouts (five) during that stretch. His on-base skills have settled him into the leadoff spot, and apart from newly promoted Corbin Carroll, there isn't a hitter who needs to be picked up more right now.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Breaks up no-hit bid
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Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two total runs scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over Atlanta.
Prior to Nootbaar's one-out solo shot in the sixth inning, the Cardinals had not recorded a hit against Atlanta starter Jake Odorizzi. The rookie outfielder continues to look good in August -- he's gone 14-for-43 (.326) with four homers, eight RBI and 13 runs scored across his last 12 games. For the season, he's up to a .246/.357/.467 slash line with nine long balls, three steals, 29 RBI and 38 runs scored through 235 plate appearances. Nootbaar has hit leadoff in 12 straight games versus right-handed pitchers.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Sleeper hitters for Week 22 (Aug. 29-Sept. 4)
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With the kind of run Nootbaar has been on for the past month, I'd be looking to recommend him regardless of the matchups. But it just so happens the Cardinals have the fourth-best this week, with six games against the Reds and Cubs rotations.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Possible waiver wire pickups
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I've written about Nootbaar a lot lately, which is a pretty good indicator that he's shaping up to be this year's Frank Schwindel, an obscure player who becomes an unlikely X factor during the most crucial stretch of the season. Schwindel hit .346 with 12 homers and a 1.027 OPS from Aug. 12 on last year. Nootbaar, with another home run Wednesday, has hit .311 (32 for 103) with six homers and a 1.051 OPS from July 9 on. Equally impressive are his 25 walks to 20 strikeouts during that stretch, and it's that patient approach that's earned him the leadoff spot, at least against right-handers. Overall, I think he has more staying power than Schwindel and is contributing in ways that make him just as valuable in points leagues as traditional 5x5 scoring.
