Cardinals Rising Star Set To Begin Rehab Assignment Following Stint On IL

St. Louis is on the verge of seeing a key player return

Jul 29, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have managed to compete despite being faced with a plethora of injuries but fortunately, they should have a vital part of their roster back soon.

After spending nearly a month on the injured list, a young Cardinals star player has reached a major milestone on his road to recovery -- indicating a return is near.

"Injury Update: outfielder Lars Nootbaar will begin an injury rehab assignment tonight in (Double-A) Springfield," the Cardinals announced Friday afternoon.

Nootbaar was sidelined after suffering an oblique strain from a checked swing on May 29 in a 5-3 victory against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds.

The 26-year-old is projected to play five innings in the field on Friday for Double-A Springfield and will ramp it up depending on how comfortable he feels. Nootbaar will likely spend multiple games in the minors to work on his timing at the plate and get his body back in shape to return to St. Louis.

The young outfielder has missed a considerable amount of time this season due to injuries -- the first being a left rib contusion right before Opening Day. Nonetheless, his presence was felt in the 39 games he played, where he logged .234/.337/.404 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

It will be great to have Nootbaar back in the lineup to help further strengthen the Cardinals' efforts to establish themselves as legitimate playoff contenders.

More MLB: Cardinals Reportedly Promote Top Prospect To Alleviate Bullpen Exhaustion