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The St. Louis Cardinals are off to an incredible start to the 2026 season. The heavy favorites to finish last in the NL Central are punching above their weight so far in a very competitive division. For a labeled "rebuild season," this young core is looking rejuvenated and motivated to prove everyone wrong.
As the month of May is wrapping up, the Cardinals are sitting in third place in the NL Central Division with a 28-21 record and are currently two games back from the lead. As the team keeps rolling, they have reinforcements coming in the near future. The biggest notable name is fan favorite Lars Nootbaar.
Noot has been out the whole season so far with Haglund's deformities in both of heels requiring off-season surgery. He is currently on a rehab stint in Palm Beach, where he is looking healthy, hitting a home run in his first plate appearance on the very first swing. The veteran (on a very young team) will be a huge addition to the clubhouse chemistry and will slot right in with Nathan Church on the 10-day IL for a shoulder strain.
His on-base persona will be huge for generating runs to an already lethal offense that ranks 12th in all of MLB. Not only is Noot good for the Cardinals brand, but he is a borderline global superstar who will only bring more attention to the team that deserves recognition for what they are accomplishing.
Did Lars Nootbaar lose a role through time time he missed?
Nootbaar has missed just enough time for this to be an interesting dilemma for the team going forward. Nathan Church has been a key contributor to the team's success so far in 2026 and is expected to continue where he left off once he returns from the IL. Church has posted a 0.9 WAR with 5 HR and 18 RBI across 27 games with elite gold glove defense in left field. His offensive numbers have declined in May, which now looks apparent due to injury.
The once bench platoon role guy has shown a strong 2026 and has more than deservedly earned his starting role going forward. Nootbaar has a chance to reclaim his starting prowess in the everyday lineup, but he will have to battle Nathan Church for the left field spot.
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