The St. Louis Cardinals are set to receive a major boost to their lineup in the near future with the return of outfielder Lars Nootbaar, whose comeback timeline is now coming into clearer focus.
According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are preparing to begin Nootbaar’s minor league rehab assignment on Friday night with Low-A Palm Beach. If all goes according to plan, he could take the field that same evening as part of his first competitive action since landing on the injured list.
Goold reported that the team carefully evaluated how Nootbaar responded to pre-game workouts and warmups before making the decision to send him out on a rehab assignment. The Cardinals want to ensure he is physically ready before accelerating his return, but all signs currently point toward steady progress.
Nootbaar is currently on the 60-day injured list, which makes him eligible to be activated no earlier than May 24. Once his rehab assignment begins, MLB rules allow position players up to 20 days in the minor leagues before they must either be activated to the major league roster or remain sidelined. In practice, that means the Cardinals now have a clear window for his return.
The organization is expected to move Nootbaar through the minor league system gradually, depending on scheduling and his performance, as he works his way back toward St. Louis. If everything goes smoothly and there are no setbacks, he is likely to rejoin the major league club within that 20-day rehab period.
The timeline suggests that Nootbaar’s return could come as early as May 24, the first day he is eligible to be activated from the injured list. However, if the Cardinals choose to use the full rehab window to ensure he is fully ready, the latest possible return would fall around June 5, when St. Louis opens a home series against the Cincinnati Reds. That would mark a natural and convenient point for his season debut with the big league team.
Under that scenario, Nootbaar would spend the maximum allowable time on rehab assignment, finishing his minor league stint around June 4 before rejoining the Cardinals immediately afterward. Either way, his return is now projected to fall within a tight and well-defined range between May 24 and June 5, assuming no setbacks occur during his ramp-up.
For St. Louis, this development represents a significant reinforcement to the roster. Nootbaar is viewed as one of the team’s key outfield pieces, and his absence has been felt throughout the season. Getting him back would provide a boost both offensively and defensively as the Cardinals continue to navigate a competitive National League race.
After an offseason filled with uncertainty about his recovery and return date, the situation has now become much clearer. While the exact day is still to be determined, the Cardinals and their fans can finally circle a realistic window for when Nootbaar will be back in the lineup, bringing stability and impact back to the outfield.
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