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Player Outlook
Lars Nootbaar made three trips to the injured list in 2023 due to thumb, back and abdominal issues. Those injuries limited him to 117 games and 503 plate appearances, but when available he was impressive with the bat, totaling 14 homers and 11 steals to go with a .261 average. The outfielder showcased an impressive eye at the plate with a 14.3 BB% and 19.7 K%, nearly identical to his 2022 marks. The slugging lags behind the rest of his offensive game a bit -- his SLG fell to just .418 last season -- but Nootbaar does enough well across the board to warrant a high level of interest in mixed leagues that require five starting outfielders. Given that he had a dramatic lefty/righty platoon split (200 points of OPS to be exact), it would make sense if the Cardinals sat him occasionally against tough southpaws. Even so, Nootbaar could in theory approach 600 plate appearances with better luck on the health front while rotating between the three outfield spots for St. Louis.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
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Runs
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Home Runs
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Runs Batted In
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Base on Balls (Walk)
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Stolen Bases
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Batting Average
2024 .000
2023 342.52.9 74 14 46 72 11 .261
2022 246.52.3 53 14 40 51 4 .228
3y Avg. 2242.4 47 11 34 45 6 .247
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Fantasy Performance by Week
44%
Roster
5%
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Fantasy News

  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Officially placed on IL

    The Cardinals placed Nootbaar on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with two fractured left ribs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Nootbaar has been held out since early March due to the injury. He resumed taking swings against soft-toss pitching Monday, and the Cardinals are optimistic that the 26-year-old won't need to spend much longer than the 10-day minimum on the IL.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Takes soft-toss Sunday and Monday

    Nootbaar (ribs) took soft-toss swings Sunday and Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol saw video of Nootbaar's workouts and said the outfielder "looked really good" and "his body is responding well." Nootbaar will begin the season on the injured list with two non-displaced fractures in his left ribcage, but the hope remains that he won't be out long. He will be eligible for activation for the team's home opener on April 4.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Will be re-evaluated Saturday

    Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Thursday that Nootbaar (ribs) will have his progress re-evaluated by doctors Saturday, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Marmol noted that Nootbaar was able to do some rotational exercises Wednesday and "feels better every day." However, the skipper added that the discomfort in Nootbaar's ribs is still lingering, and a timetable for his return to game action won't become clear until he's able to swing a bat pain-free. Nootbaar appears to be trending toward beginning the season on the injured list, but the Cardinals haven't officially ruled him out for Opening Day just yet.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Diagnosed with fractured ribs

    Nootbaar has been diagnosed with two non-displaced fractures in his left ribcage, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. He suffered the injury nearly a week ago while making a twisting catch during a Grapefruit League game. Nootbaar will be monitored over the next 10-14 days and could swing a bat during that time based on his pain tolerance. The Cardinals are not yet ruling him out for Opening Day, but it would appear to be a long shot. St. Louis appears likely to be without two starting outfielders to begin the year with Tommy Edman (wrist) also banged up. Dylan Carlson and perhaps Alec Burleson could pick up the slack in the meantime. Top prospect Victor Scott could also potentially work his way into the mix.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Undergoes CT scan on torso

    Nootbaar underwent a CT scan on his torso Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Nootbaar is dealing with lingering soreness after jamming his elbow into in his left side and ribs while trying to brace his fall along the side outfield wall during Saturday's game versus the Astros. The Cardinals medical staff reviewed the imaging Thursday, and the club is expected to have a better idea as to the severity and a timetable for Nootbaar by Friday afternoon. Nootbaar did say Thursday that he's "feeling better and better every day," so hopefully it's more of a day-to-day situation.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Looking for pulled flyballs

    Nootbaar changed his swing over the offseason in hopes of hitting more pulled flyballs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Nootbaar worked with Nolan Arenado and Arenado's brother, former minor-leaguer Jonah, extensively over the winter. He's holding his hands lower, allowing for a more vertical swing path and more freedom to stay within the ball. Woo writes that Nootbaar's biggest priority is backspin, along with higher exit velocities and barrel rates as well as lower groundball rates. While Nootbaar's plate discipline remained excellent in 2023, his quality of contact, flyball rate and pull rate all regressed. The goal is to maintain the former while improving all of the latter aspects.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Ends power drought Saturday

    Nootbaar went 2-for-4 with a walk, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 15-6 rout of the Reds. He took Fernando Cruz deep in the second inning to help the Cards race out to a 10-0 lead. Nootbaar snapped a 23-game homer drought with the blast, as he mostly struggled in September, batting .194 (18-for-93) over 26 games. The 26-year-old heads into the final day of the season with 14 homers, 11 steals, 46 RBI and 74 runs and a .791 OPS over 116 contests, numbers very similar to his 2022 campaign.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Gets aboard three times Tuesday

    Nootbaar went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Brewers. Prior to Tuesday, Nootbaar had gone 0-for-15 with three walks across his last four games. That small slump hasn't cost him a regular role or a spot atop the lineup against right-handed pitchers. The outfielder has maintained a .265/.373/.425 slash line with 13 home runs, 11 steals, 43 RBI and 69 runs scored over 106 games this season.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Heads to bench

    Nootbaar will not start Saturday's game against the Phillies, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Nootbaar hits the bench against lefty Ranger Suarez, but that isn't necessarily a sign that he's going to be platooned over the final two weeks of the season, as he was in the lineup against the previous two southpaws the Cardinals faced. He does own a much better wRC+ against righties (135) than against lefties (96) and has struck out 25.9 percent of the time against southpaws compared to just 17.4 percent against right-handers, so some platoon risk remains for next season. For now, it will be Tyler O'Neill, Tommy Edman and Jordan Walker across the outfielder for the Cardinals.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Produces 10th steal

    Nootbaar went 2-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 11-5 loss to the Orioles. Nootbaar has cooled off in September, going 7-for-35 (.200) across 10 games this month. Four of his hits in that span have gone for extra bases, and he's added two steals. The outfielder continues to see a near-everyday role and some time atop the Cardinals' lineup. He's slashing .275/.381/.445 with 10 thefts, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 67 runs scored and 21 doubles through 100 contests this season.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Sitting against lefty

    Nootbaar is absent from the lineup Thursday in Atlanta. Tyler O'Neill, Tommy Edman and Jordan Walker will start across the outfield as the Cardinals match up against left-hander Max Fried. Nootbaar has posted an .855 OPS in 317 plate appearances this year against righties, compared to a .704 OPS in 96 plate appearances versus southpaws.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Gets aboard three times

    Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Pirates. Nootbaar went 2-for-12 with three walks, a home run and a stolen base over three games versus the Pirates during this weekend's series, his first action since mid-August. He's back to playing a starting role in center field after recovering from a groin injury. The outfielder has also returned to the leadoff spot versus right-hander pitchers. Nootbaar is slashing .279/.381/.452 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 63 runs scored and nine stolen bases through 93 contests overall. He's also maintained strong strikeout (19.6 percent) and walk (14.1 percent) rates.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Homers in second game back

    Nootbaar went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Pirates. Nootbaar returned Friday from a two-week absence due to a groin injury. He's just 1-for-9 across two contests since he was activated from the injured list. Prior to sustaining the injury, he hit .333 (18-for-54) in August. For the season, he's at a .278/.378/.453 slash line, 13 long balls, 40 RBI, 61 runs scored and eight stolen bases through 92 contests in a breakout campaign. He should see plenty of playing time in the outfield over the final month of the season.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Not activated, but close to return

    Nootbaar (abdomen) is considered close to returning from the 10-day injured list, but he continues to work out on the side rather than with the team as he attempts to regain strength, John Denton of MLB.com reports. Nootbaar had been eligible to return from the IL on Sunday, but he'll need some additional time to fully heal up from a lower abdomen contusion. Though he's continuing to take part in baseball activities, the Cardinals aren't yet ready to pinpoint a target date for his activation. While Nootbaar remains on the mend, the Cardinals will likely rely on a combination of Richie Palacios and Tommy Edman to fill in for him in center field.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Placed on 10-day IL

    Nootbaar (abdomen) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports. After fouling a ball off himself Wednesday, Nootbaar will now be sidelined for a over a week while nursing his injured lower abdomen. The outfielder will be replaced on the major-league roster by top prospect Masyn Winn, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Memphis.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Sidelined Thursday

    Nootbaar (abdomen) is not in Thursday's lineup against the Mets. He exited Wednesday's game with a lower abdomen contusion, so that could still be ailing him. It's also possible the team is just playing it safe with Nootbaar, given that a same-handed pitcher (Jose Quintana) is on the mound for New York. Tommy Edman gets the start in center field while Taylor Motter mans shortstop and Jose Fermin works at the keystone.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Exits with injury

    Nootbaar was removed from Wednesday's game against Oakland with a lower abdomen contusion, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. Nootbaar fouled off a pitch in the fifth inning that ended up hitting him below the belt and put him in a considerable amount of pain. The Cardinals should provide additional updates on Nootbaar's status before Thursday's contest, but the 25-year-old outfielder should be considered day-to-day for now.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Belts long ball in victory

    Nootbaar went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 7-3 win over Minnesota on Wednesday. Nootbaar hit one of three second-inning homers for the Cardinals in the victory, swatting a 411-foot two-run shot to right-center field. The outfielder has been swinging a hot bat of late, collecting multiple hits four times over his current six-game hitting streak. Nootbaar is batting a cool .500 (11-for-22) with four homers, seven RBI and five runs over the scorching stretch.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Possible waiver wire pickups

    Nootbaar's struggles to elevate the ball have contributed to a disappointing first year as a full-time starter, but he just wrapped up a July that should serve as a reminder how good he can be. His two home runs Friday were his fifth and sixth for the month to go along with a .309 (29 for 94) batting average and .416 on-base percentage. He's been the fifth-best outfielder in points leagues during that stretch -- behind Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, Christian Yelich and Ronald Acuna -- and is verging on must-start status again in that format thanks to his ability to take a walk. He bats in the upper third of the lineup most every day, which is of course valuable in all formats, and you may recall that this was about the point when he burst onto the scene last year.
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  • Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Goes deep twice

    Nootbaar went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Friday's loss to the Cubs. Nootbaar accounted for the Cardinals' only two runs Friday. The 25-year-old has caught fire recently, going 9-for-19 (.474) with four homers and a 7:1 BB:K over his last six games. On the year, Nootbaar is now slashing .271/.377/.431 with 23 extra-base hits and 51 runs scored through 319 plate appearances.
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