Cardinals Fan Favorite Place On Injured List; Infielder Recalled From Minors

St. Louis will be without a star player for a little bit

Apr 4, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view during the national anthem before the St. Louis Cardinals home opener against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals lineup seems to have finally figured things out after being one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the league to start the season.

Key sluggers such as Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Gorman have been crushing the ball while phenom shortstop Masyn Winn is on pace to break a Cardinals all-time hitting record.

Unfortunately, St. Louis will have to compete without one of its top sluggers after sustaining an injury during Wednesday's win against the Cincinnati Reds, but luckily, it's not all bad news.

"Outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 10-day injured list (oblique strain), retroactive to May 30th," the organization announced Friday. The Cardinals also announced that infielder José Fermín has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis to fill Nootbaar's spot on the roster and right-handed pitcher Giovanny Gallegos will begin a rehab assignment Friday in Memphis.

Nootbaar left Wednesday night's game after experiencing discomfort from a checked swing in the seventh inning. He attempted to stay in the game but eventually decided the pain was too much to handle.

The 26-year-old is batting .234 with 13 extra-base hits including five home runs, 19 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 141 at-bats throughout 39 games played this season.

The young outfielder is primed for one of the best seasons of his career and hopefully, he'll be back from this injury in no time.

It's great news to see that Gallegos is making strides on his road to recovery. Let's hope when he makes his return, he'll get back to pitching like his old self and can improve on the 12.00 ERA with a 2.33 WHIP he recorded over nine innings pitched to begin the 2024 season.

In the meantime, the Cardinals are set to take on the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in a series that should certainly put their 27-27 record to the test. These next stretch could solidify where St. Louis stands in terms of ability to contend this season.

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