Central STL News

Lars Nootbaar, outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, made a key defensive play during Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers that helped secure a win for his team. Nootbaar’s diving catch at the right-field line robbed Mookie Betts of a hit and was noted by friends and fans alike.

“A lot of hate, a lot of hate,” Nootbaar said regarding playful text messages from friends after the catch. “A lot of homers forget that they were friends with me long before they were Dodger [fans]. But, no, it was still cool [making the catch to preserve the win].”

The Cardinals followed up Monday’s victory with a 12-6 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. Pitcher Miles Mikolas struggled, giving up three home runs and bringing his season total to 21. Mikolas, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has given up seven home runs in his last three starts against Los Angeles. He stated he would like to continue pitching in 2026.

Nootbaar recently returned from nearly three weeks on the injured list due to a left costochondral sprain. This injury follows several previous stints on the injured list over the past two seasons with various ailments including thumb, back, groin, ribs, and oblique injuries. In his rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield, Nootbaar had four hits in three games and has contributed offensively since rejoining St. Louis.

He recorded hits in both games since his return—against San Diego and Los Angeles—and had two singles Tuesday night. A third hit might have been possible if he had reached first base differently during one play.

In prior seasons, Nootbaar used time during the MLB All-Star break to refine his swing alongside teammate Nolan Arenado. That preparation contributed to strong second-half performances over recent years; from 2022-2024 he hit 25 of his 40 home runs after midseason breaks.

This July’s ribcage injury limited those preparations but Nootbaar remains optimistic about regaining form as he continues working with hitting coach Brant Brown.

“I think once the timing comes back, then I'll be [working with hitting coach Brant Brown] and making sure I get back to where I need to be and finish the season strong,” Nootbaar said. “I tend to always have better second halves, and I'm excited about trying to do that again.”

Defensively, Nootbaar ended his rehab stint with a sliding catch for Double-A Springfield and called Monday’s ninth-inning play against Betts “my favorite catch of the year.” According to Statcast data, he covered 116 feet at a sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second—the fastest defensive sprint speed of his season.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol commented on Nootbaar’s approach: “The biggest difference for him -- and he’s been working on it a ton -- is when he goes back on a ball or has to run at an angle, he runs sideways with his head on the ball and he rarely just puts his head down and sprints,” Marmol said. “When he goes forward, it’s not a thing because you can just go. But he gets knocked [metrically] on that acceleration because of how he gets there. Because that [diving catch] was forward, I can see why it was his fastest [sprint speed].”

Nootbaar aims to build upon past late-season successes as he works toward full health and consistency at bat while continuing to contribute defensively for St. Louis.