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Cardinals finally get the reinforcement they've been desperately missing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The St. Louis Cardinals have spent weeks searching for answers. Now, one of their most important players is on the verge of returning.
After completing the final day of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Lars Nootbaar is expected to rejoin the Cardinals on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to manager Oliver Marmol. The timing couldn't be much better for a club that has repeatedly struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities and has watched its offense leave runners stranded at an alarming rate.
And if Nootbaar's final rehab game was any indication, he may be arriving just in time to change the entire conversation around this lineup.
Lars Nootbaar sends a loud message before Cardinals return
The Cardinals wanted to see Nootbaar handle back-to-back games and play full defensive workloads before activating him. He responded by doing much more than that.
Nootbaar launched a leadoff home run, finished 2-for-5 and drew a walk in Memphis' game against Louisville, giving St. Louis exactly the type of encouraging performance it hoped to see before ending his rehab assignment.
The 28-year-old has been working his way back from double heel surgery, and his return instantly gives the Cardinals a proven big-league bat, a strong on-base presence and one of the team's most energetic personalities.
For a club that has spent much of the season searching for consistency near the bottom of the lineup, that's a significant development.
Cardinals' biggest problem may finally have an answer
St. Louis entered Wednesday tied for the lowest batting average with runners in scoring position in Major League Baseball at just .222. The issue surfaced again Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers when the Cardinals failed to score after putting runners on first and third with nobody out in a tie game.
While Marmol pushed back on the idea that runners-in-scoring-position numbers tell the entire story, he acknowledged that Nootbaar brings something the offense has been lacking. The Cardinals manager pointed directly to Nootbaar's ability to control the strike zone, work counts, take walks and consistently move the baseball forward.
That's exactly the skill set St. Louis needs. Even when Nootbaar isn't collecting hits, his disciplined approach forces pitchers to work harder and often creates opportunities for the hitters behind him.
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The impact goes beyond the box score
There is another reason Cardinals fans are so excited about Nootbaar's return.
Energy.
Few players on the roster bring the same level of emotion, intensity and enthusiasm that Nootbaar provides every time he steps onto the field. It's one of the reasons he quickly became a fan favorite in St. Louis. The Cardinals' young roster has already shown far more competitive fire than many expected entering the season. Adding Nootbaar back into that mix only amplifies it.
His return isn't just about improving the batting order. It's about injecting confidence into a team that still believes it can make noise in the National League.
Could this be Nootbaar's most important stretch as a Cardinal?
An interesting wrinkle hangs over Nootbaar's return. ESPN's Jeff Passan recently identified Nootbaar as a potential trade deadline candidate if the Cardinals decide to explore moves later this summer.
Before any of those conversations can happen, however, Nootbaar has a chance to remind everyone exactly why he's been such an important part of the organization.
The former Gold Glove finalist owns a career 9.4 WAR and has consistently demonstrated the ability to impact games in multiple ways when healthy.
The biggest question has never been talent. It's availability.Now healthy and finally back in the lineup, Nootbaar has nearly two months before the trade deadline to show what kind of difference he can make.
For a Cardinals team searching for offense, energy and consistency, that could be enough time to change everything.
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