Cubs Minor League Wrap: Kaleb Wing has a successful pro debut in Mesa
Kaleb Wing shines in his pro debut as Cubs minor league teams face challenges.
Lars Nootbaar is set to return to Minor League games after undergoing double heel surgeries. The Cardinals have brought him to St. Louis for rehabilitation to help manage his anxiety about missing the start of the 2026 season.
Mentioned in this story
(Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
Knowing Lars Nootbaarâs excitable, high-energy persona and his growing anxiety over missing the start of the 2026 season, the Cardinals recently recalled the outfielder from Florida so that he could do his rehabilitation in St. Louis and be around his MLB teammates for a few days.
With Nootbaar approximately 10 days away from returning to Minor League games after a winter where he had surgeries to remove deformities from both of his heels, the Cardinals are proud that the sweet-swinging lefty returned to St. Louis for a few days so that he doesnât rush back to the big leagues.
âWe brought him up here for a little bit just to keep him sane,â Cardinalsâ manager Olivert Marmol said of Nootbaar, who was in St. Louis during the teamâs series against the Red Sox (April 10-12). âHim being with us for a little bit kind of toned that (anxiety) down a little bit and maybe we got ahead of it.â
Sore and in pain much of the 2025 season, Nootbaar underwent surgeries to remove the Haglundâs deformities -- a bony bump at the back of the heel that can cause significant pain and limit mobility â in October. He went from a wheelchair to crutches to walking boots in the months before Spring Training. After spending several weeks rehabilitating at the clubâs Spring Training headquarters in Jupiter, Fla., Nootbaar has been cleared to play games again.
âHeâll have some game activity the week of (April) the 10th, and weâll kind of create a Spring Training for him, basically,â Marmol said.
Marmol didnât disclose where Nootbaar will begin his rehab, but he is expected to be brought along slowly. Heâll start off at designated hitter, and he then will slowly build his innings played over a period before playing in consecutive games.
Marmol said the hope is that when Nootbaar returns to the Cardinals there will be no restrictions over his usage as an outfielder Nootbaar, who is scheduled to come off the 60-day Injured List by the end of May, is expected to be ready for a comeback by then.
Lars Nootbaar is approximately 10 days away from returning to Minor League games.
Lars Nootbaar had surgeries to remove deformities from both of his heels.
The Cardinals brought Nootbaar to St. Louis to help manage his anxiety and keep him connected with his MLB teammates during rehabilitation.
Being with the team in St. Louis has helped tone down Nootbaar's anxiety about missing the start of the 2026 season.
Kaleb Wing shines in his pro debut as Cubs minor league teams face challenges.
Joel Embiid leads 76ers to 109-100 Game 7 win over Celtics!
Jayson Tatum's knee injury raises questions about the Celtics' future.
76ers rally past Celtics in Game 7 to face Knicks next
Dillon Dingler's 443-foot homer leads Tigers to victory over Rangers!

Join the excitement at the Sutter Buttes Showdown on May 17!
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
âThe goal will be that when he comes back, he will be a regular baseball player,â Marmol said.
The Cardinals have gotten a tremendous lift from rookie Nathan Church, who has handled much of the left field game action with Nootbaar out the entire season. In addition to hitting five homers, Church has robbed three home runs, including the game-preserving catch in a win in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Nootbaar, 28, got off to a strong start in 2025, but he appeared to wear down physically as the year wore on -- something that could have been attributed to the pain he felt in his legs and feet. He set new career highs in games played (135), hits (119), total bases (184), doubles (24) and RBI (48), but slashed just .234/.325/.361/.686 while hitting 13 homers.
Marmol said it feels good to finally have some clarity on Nootbaarâs return. Heâs also happy that the likable outfielder has been able to pass several running tests along the way while moving close to a return.
âYouâre not exactly sure what itâs going to look like with the running progression that heâs been put through over the last 30 days and weâve had to listen to his feedback and his overall body more than anything else,â Marmol said. âBut weâve come out of all of that feeling really good and now weâre a week or so away from him starting games, which is awesome.â
Remember to join our CARDINALS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other CARDINALS fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!