St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) is back in left field and will hit seventh in Tuesday's contest against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Paul Skenes at PNC Park. Nootbaar will return to action in Pittsburgh after missing the last two games due to an aggravated left-intercostal injury. It's not the best matchup for him to return to against Skenes, so those setting DFS lineups may want to avoid him in his return. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter went through a rough stretch in mid-June but has picked things up in his last eight games, going 8-for-30 (.267) with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and four runs scored in 35 plate appearances. In seven career at-bats against Skenes, Nootbaar is hitless with a .125 OPS.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that outfielder Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) will likely be out of the lineup until at least Tuesday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates due to a left intercostal injury that he's been dealing with of late. Nootbaar aggravated the injury during a swing on Saturday in the win over the Cleveland Guardians and did not start in the series finale on Sunday. The Cardinals open a series in Pittsburgh on Monday, but fantasy managers should expect the 27-year-old left-handed hitter to be out of the lineup for a second straight game against left-hander Andrew Heaney. If Nootbaar is unable to return by Tuesday or later this week, he could land on the 10-day injured list heading into the All-Star break. Nootbaar is a starting outfielder for St. Louis when healthy and is batting just .227 (68-for-299) with 11 home runs, 35 RBI, 44 runs and four stolen bases.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (ribs), who has been bothered by rib pain recently, winced in pain during a check swing on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians but stayed in the game. Nootbaar is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale in Cleveland against a left-hander, and manager Oliver Marmol said there was no medical update on Nootbaar. It's something to watch for fantasy managers going into St. Louis' series opener on Monday in Pittsburgh against the division-rival Pirates. Despite not being 100 percent physically of late, the 27-year-old outfielder has gone 8-for-30 (.267) with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and four runs scored in eight games since June 19. He's hitting just .227 (68-for-299) on the year, but his xBA of .246 supports the fact that he has some positive regression coming. Nootbaar has also added 11 home runs as a regular for St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) is back in the team's starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Cleveland Guardians and right-hander Luis L. Ortiz, playing left field and batting fifth in the order. Nootbaar will return to action after missing the final two games of the series against the Chicago Cubs with an intercostal injury, but he's back on Friday and ready to go for the weekend. He has hit .237 (44-for-186) with nine of his 11 home runs on the year against right-handed pitchers and has gone hitless in just two career at-bats versus Ortiz. The 27-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder comes into Friday's series opener riding a modest six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 7-for-22 with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and three runs scored.

Updating a previous report, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (intercostal) received a pain-relieving shot in his intercostal on Tuesday night, according to manager Oliver Marmol. It requires 48 hours of inactivity, which is why he was unavailable to play on Wednesday and Thursday. The Cardinals think they got ahead of any potential side injury and expect Nootbaar to play in Cleveland this weekend in a series against the Guardians, according to Jeff Jones. It's something to keep an eye on for the 27-year-old, who is currently in the midst of a modest six-game hitting streak in which he's gone 7-for-22 with three home runs, a double, seven RBI and three runs scored. Nootbaar is in the 93rd percentile in hard-hit rate this year and is right in the middle (50th percentile) in strikeout rate, so he should improve on his current .230 average as a starting outfielder with 20-plus-homer power.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is sitting for the final contest of a four-game series with the visiting Chicago Cubs. Nootbaar will be out of the team's lineup for the second straight day as they face another southpaw in Shota Imanaga. Teammate Brendan Donovan is occupying left field and batting leadoff. The former eighth-round pick was productive over his first 30 games this season, but has seen his average drop 40 points to .230 since Apr. 30. Despite how bad he's been in June (.174), Nootbaar's average exit velocity (92.2 MPH) and hard-hit rate (53.4%) are sitting at career-highs, and his xBA is a more palatable .247.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This appears to be a routine rest day for Nootbaar versus a left-handed starting pitcher. Nootbaar has been swinging a hot bat lately with seven hits, three homers, and seven RBI over his last five games. In his absence, Brendan Donovan will shift to left field while Thomas Saggese covers second base versus left-hander Matthew Boyd on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups with Nootbaar on the bench for this one.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and batting seventh for Tuesday's road game in Chicago against the White Sox and right-hander Shane Smith. With Nootbaar slumping of late at the plate, this will be the first time all year that he hasn't served as St. Louis' leadoff hitter. Second baseman Brendan Donovan will set the table on Tuesday for the Red Birds. It's bad news for Nootbaar's DFS value, but hopefully this won't last forever. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter was given the last two games off after going hitless in his last 24 plate appearances with a walk and 13 strikeouts in seven games since June 8. The cold stretch has dropped his season slash line to .226/.329/.361 with eight homers, 28 RBI, 39 runs scored and four stolen bases in 266 at-bats. Nootbaar has never faced Smith in his career.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is out of the team's starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium. Brendan Donovan will start in left field and bat third, while Nolan Gorman starts at second base and bats out of the seven-hole against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. Nootbaar will get a day off after starting in each of the team's last 16 contests. It's a good time for a break, as the 27-year-old outfielder has just one hit in his last 19 at-bats to drop his season line to .237/.341/.379 in 253 at-bats. Both Donovan and Gorman have found some success against Bassitt in the past, albeit in small sample sizes. Donovan has hit .429 with a homer and two RBI in seven at-bats, while Gorman has homered twice and driven in four in his two at-bats versus Bassitt. Donovan currently ranks 11th in MLB with his .314 average on the year.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar found solid production at the top of the lineup in a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. After a single to start the game, Nootbaar crushed a 388-foot two-run homer in his second at-bat for his eighth home run of the season. The 27-year-old also added a single in the seventh, finishing 3-for-4 with an additional run scored and a walk. Nootbaar is now slashing .249/.354/.411 in his fifth season with the Cardinals and has shown increased power, sitting six home runs shy of his career high of 14.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar will not be in the team's lineup when they host the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. It's a routine day off for the California native, who has appeared in all but two contests this season. Brendan Donovan will man left field in his place, with Nolan Gorman covering second base and shortstop Masyn Winn batting leadoff. Nootbaar has been solid in 2025, slashing .251/.356/.414 with seven home runs, ten doubles, 31 runs scored, 25 RBI, and four steals. At this pace, he has an excellent chance to set career-highs across the board and has once again cut his strikeout rate (16.4%). Not much has changed regarding quality contact for him, but an increased launch angle could explain his uptick in power.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar will take his first day off of the season on Tuesday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Michael Siani will replace him in center field and will hit eighth in the batting order against Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. Nootbaar has gotten off to a nice start in 2025, batting .302 (13-for-43) with two homers, a double and six RBI in 10 games, but he has just one hit in his last 14 at-bats. Siani has started the year by going 1-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk and two strikeouts in his nine appearances. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter will be a poor DFS option in the eight-hole against one of the best young arms in the game in Skenes. Siani has faced Skenes seven times in his career and is hitting .143 with a .429 OPS.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar went 2-for-3 with two walks, a homer, and two runs scored in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Nootbaar kicked off the scoring for the Cardinals with a leadoff homer in the first inning. The veteran outfielder is off to a fast start in 2025, picking up six hits, including two homers, over 13 at-bats thus far. Nootbaar will look to continue the hot hitting as the calendar flips to April.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and is back in the leadoff spot for the team's second game of the season on Saturday against the visiting Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan at Busch Stadium. As a result, shortstop Masyn Winn will hit ninth for the second game in a row to begin the season. Nootbaar will see a notable boost in fantasy value if he sticks atop St. Louis' batting order in 2025 against right-handed pitchers. The 27-year-old got a good start on Opening Day on Thursday by going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run to help beat the Twins, and he'll hope to keep it going this weekend. Although he has only faced Ryan three times in his career, he has taken him deep once and driven in two runs. Nootbaar has struggled to stay on the field since 2023 due to injuries, but if he can stay healthy in 2025, a breakout campaign could be coming.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar launched a two-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 performance in a win over the Twins. He led off in this game against a right-handed pitcher, which is a positive sign for his future fantasy outlook. Nootbaar came into 2025 with some sleeper appeal after slashing .290/.420/.565 in September to close out last season. He posted an excellent 49.5% hard-hit rate and walked at a 12.8% clip in 2024. He has the skills to be a fantasy difference-maker if he can put it all together, and he is worth a speculative add in any leagues where he is available.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is starting in left field and batting leadoff for Monday's exhibition game against Triple-A Memphis, with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold noting that it's the same lineup that manager Oliver Marmol plans to use on Opening Day this Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. Meanwhile, shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting ninth for the Red Birds. Although this setup could change eventually and is likely to be different against a left-hander, Winn's short-term fantasy upside will suffer after he hit just .080 (4-for-50) with no homers an RBI, two steals and 16 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances over 17 Grapefruit League games this spring. Nootbaar, meanwhile, hit .268 (11-for-41) with a homer, seven RBI and one steal in 18 games. The 27-year-old left-handed hitter could be a nice asset for on-base percentage in deep-mixed leagues as outfield depth.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar had a huge game on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI. Nootbaar added a double and two runs scored in what was his best game of the season. While it was a great game, the 26-year-old just hasn't been able to live up to the potential he showed a few years ago, where he showed 20/20 capability. It hasn't helped that he has once again been injury-prone, and at this point Nootbaar will need to show fantasy managers something more before he becomes a viable option in standard leagues.

The St. Louis Cardinals are without outfielder Lars Nootbaar for Tuesday's game against the New York Mets, the third time in the last four games he has been out of the lineup. In addition to Nootbaar, infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan is out against Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs. Nootbaar is replaced in the lineup by Victor Scott II, who is batting ninth in the order and playing in center. Nootbaar is hitting .234/.324/.388 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 21 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 62 games. His absence will not be felt in standard fantasy leagues, while NL-only fantasy managers may have to consider a dip into the waiver wire if Nootbaar continues to remain out of the lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar and second baseman Nolan Gorman are not in the team's lineup on Monday against the New York Mets. The Mets will be sending left-hander Sean Manaea to the mound to start Monday's makeup game, so the left-hitting Nootbaar will take a seat on the bench. The 26-year-old has struggled to put up consistent numbers in 2024, as he is hitting just .234 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, and 23 RBI across 62 games this season. As a result, he isn't necessarily an add in most 12-plus team leagues. Tommy Pham, Alec Burleson, and Victor Scott II will occupy the three outfield spots in Monday's makeup game.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar will take a season on Saturday against Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon. Nootbaar is typically penciled into the starting nine against right-handers, but Saturday will be an exception. Instead, Brendan Donovan will move to the outfield which opens up the keystone for Nolan Gorman. In his past seven games, Nootbaar has gone 3-for-17 with just one extra-base hit. Both Donovan and Gorman have been in a slump at the plate as well and should be faded in DFS competitions this afternoon as Taillon carries a solid 3.25 ERA and 0.99 WHIP since the middle of June.