Aug 31, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) high fives teammates after scoring on a sacrifice fly out hit by third baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cardinals' OF Lars Nootbaar Has Shot At Opening Day

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 2:52 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals announced a handful of injury updates already this offseason, including the fact that outfielder Lars Nootbaar underwent heel surgery to help correct Haglund’s deformities.

It's a somewhat rate injury and with that being said, there's been questions whether or not he would be ready to go when Opening Day gets here to begin the 2026 season. With that being said, Nootbaar has also been the subject of trade rumors and therefore the offseason surgery throws a wrench in that.

There's been a lot of speculation about what could happen with Nootbaar, but most of it is just noise. But, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom did give a loose update on Sunday while speaking to Matt Pauley of KMOX Sports.

The Cardinals got somewhat of an update on Lars Nootbaar

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

"This morning during 'Sports on a Sunday Morning' on, POBO Chaim Bloom told me that Opening Day is not off-the-table but not guaranteed for Lars Nootbaar following his heel surgery," Pauley said. "They will not hurry the rehab process but if he does miss time at the start of the season, it would be a limited amount of time."

It's not much of an update, but that fact that there's at least a chance that Nootbaar could be ready to go for Opening Day is a positive. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat recently pointed to Yoenis Cespedes as a prominent player who underwent a procedure to correct Haglund’s deformities. Cespedes missed a lot of time, but there were extenuating circumstances.

This is the type of recovery that isn't straightforward because it's not a typical injury you see all the time. It's not a twisted ankle or a strained hamstring or something along those lines. Haglund’s deformities are "bony enlargement" on the heel bone very close to the Achilles. Any time there is any sort of fear around the Achilles, you have to take it seriously because one wrong step could then cost you for an entire season. At this point, the Cardinals can only hope that he will make a speedy recovery and the fact that Bloom didn't rule him out for Opening Day is as positive of an update as fans could hope for.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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