Lars Nootbaar's return could alleviate pressure from this struggling Cardinals bat

For all but the most die-hard members of Noot Nation, the Lars Nootbaar hype train returned to the station long ago. The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder's status as a global phenomenon is a distant memory, and his inability to remain healthy and his failure to perform the way his Statcast metrics suggest he should have frustrated members of Cardinals Nation. However, as the Cardinals bring Nootbaar back into the fold on May 24 as he returns from surgery on both of his heels, he'll not only stop the tepid left field carousel of Nathan Church, Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese, but also give Nolan Gorman a much-needed reprieve from his current pressure-packed spot in the batting order.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol has been hitting Gorman fifth in most games on the season, but it's not an ideal fit for the third baseman, who's slashing just .218/.287/.361. As of May 11, the average slash line for a player in that spot in the order is .250/.328/.397. The fact that Gorman bats one spot after Jordan Walker, who is enjoying a breakout season, magnifies the issues, as Gorman's tendency to strike out isn't helping Walker when he's on base.

Nootbaar's return should solve that to a degree, as Marmol can comfortable nestle Nootbaar into the five spot, where his his strong eye at the plate and decent contact ability are likely to allow Walker to score more often. Hitting Nootbaar fifth will allow Gorman to slide down to seventh in the order with Masyn Winn between them, preserving Marmol's preferred style of alternating batting handedness throughout the lineup. It's a much better fit for Gorman, as those hitting seventh around the league have an average slash line of .235/.309/.374, making his production, or lack thereof, more palatable.

This may be what Gorman is, and that's OK.

Expectations were high for Gorman as the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2018, but his tendency to strike out and his dwindling power production have rendered him a disappointment at this juncture. Repeated back woes have plagued Gorman throughout his career and may be to blame for his power dip, but he's begun to make up for some of those shortcomings with his above-average defense at third base.

So far, Gorman is tied for second in baseball at three outs above average among third baseman with at least 200 innings played at the position, and with the Cardinals pitching staff's lack of strikeout stuff, his defensive aptitude is crucial in keeping the team in games. It's not the profile that fans or the Cardinals likely expected when Gorman was rising through the minor leagues, but even though his hitting may always leave something to be desired, he can still be a serviceable member of the team during the Cardinals' rebuild. Barring a trade for more prospects, the future at third base may be Jesus Baez or Deniel Ortiz, but for now, Gorman appears to have a safe grasp on the job.

The drop-off from Walker to Gorman in the batting order is a drastic one, and as Walker soars to new heights, Gorman is likely feeling the heat from fans who are dissatisfied with his issues when it comes to following Walker and keeping the line moving. Slotting Nootbaar into the No. 5 spot will let Gorman hit in a place that is more natural for someone of his ability. The Cardinals may need to revisit this if they deal Nootbaar at the trade deadline, but for now, this seemingly minor batting order swap should benefit all parties involved.

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