The Cardinals placed Nootbaar (heels) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar began a running progression last week and took live batting practice Tuesday, but the Cardinals are planning to proceed cautiously with the outfielder, who underwent surgery in October to address Haglund's deformities on both of his heels. A firmer target date for Nootbaar's season debut should become available in the weeks to come once he ramps up the intensity and frequency of his on-field work, but he won't be eligible to debut until late May after landing on the 60-day IL. The transaction will free up a spot on the 40-man roster for top prospect JJ Wetherholt, who will be part of the Cardinals' Opening Day squad.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Nootbaar (heels) will be evaluated this week for potential placement on the 60-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Bloom noted that the team's current wish is to avoid the 60-day IL with Nootbaar, as the transaction would leave him ineligible to make his season debut until late May. However, that decision will be made after the Cardinals get a better sense of how far Nootbaar is along in his rehab from offseason surgery on both heels. Per Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com, Nootbaar is slated to take batting practice with minor leaguers at the team's spring training complex Tuesday. St. Louis will use a combination of Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin in left field until Nootbaar is ready.

Nootbaar (heel) will start the 2026 regular season on the injured list, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

As expected, Nootbaar will miss the opening portion of the regular season while rehabbing from offseason surgery on both heels. There is no clear timeline for when the 28-year-old outfielder will be ready to make his season debut. Nootbaar's absence means Nathan Church should see a bump in starts in the outfield to open the 2026 campaign.

Nootbaar (heels) has been increasing his agility drills and is soon slated to ramp up his running program, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar's running will occur on an altered-gravity treadmill, so while his progression from offseason surgery on both heels is coming along slowly but surely, he does not appear close to being cleared for game action. The 28-year-old outfielder will begin the campaign on the injured list, and there remains no firm timetable for when he might be ready for his season debut.

Nootbaar (heels) remains without a timetable for his Grapefruit League debut, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar is expected to begin the season on the 10-day injured list as he continues his recovery from offseason surgery on both heels. He's going through baseball activities and will continue to ramp things up as his health allows, but there's no target date for his participation in games. A clearer picture regarding Nootbaar's timetable should be available later this month.

Nootbaar (heels) has been able to hit and throw without issue but is just now getting into the stage of being able to run unaided, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

Recovering from surgery in early October to address deformities on both of his heels, Nootbaar's arrival in Cardinals camp was delayed until Wednesday as the team awaited the delivery of an altered gravity treadmill. The outfielder said Wednesday that he does not have a timeline for a return, but the consensus is that he will begin the season on the injured list. Once healthy, Nootbaar will be the club's everyday left fielder.

Nootbaar (heels) has progressed to running on an altered gravity treadmill, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar underwent surgery in early October to address deformities on both of his heels and is progressing slowly but surely. He will be a few days late in reporting to camp, as the Cardinals still need to have an altered gravity treadmill delivered to their spring training complex in Florida so Nootbaar can continue rehabbing. It's looking unlikely that Nootbaar will be ready in time for Opening Day, but more clarity on his timetable should be available later in spring training.

Nootbaar (heels) opening the season on the injured list is "fair to assume" until he shows he can play in games at full speed, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar underwent surgery in early October to address deformities on both of his heels. It's possible the outfielder looks good in camp and is ready to go Opening Day, but the likelier scenario is the rebuilding Cardinals err on the side of caution and ease Nootbaar into things. More will be known during spring training about the progress of his recovery. If Nootbaar does need an IL stint and Brendan Donovan is still with the team, Donovan could slide out to start in left field. Nathan Church could handle left field if Nootbaar isn't ready and Donovan is traded.

The Cardinals and Nootbaar (heels) avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.35 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar played a career-high 135 games but produced a career-low .686 OPS for the Cardinals this past season. He underwent surgery on both heels in October and is not a lock to be ready for Opening Day. Once Nootbaar is ready, he's expected to be the team's primary left fielder.

Nootbaar -- who is recovering from Oct. 7 surgery to address deformities on both of his heels -- has dealt with discomfort in both feet off and on over the past two-and-a-half years, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Nootbaar has had ongoing treatment during the season to address recurring soreness in his heels, but he elected to have surgery earlier this month with the goal of alleviating the condition. It's difficult to gauge how much the foot issues have affected Nootbaar's play, but it's notable that his sprint speed has fallen each year, from the 83rd percentile in 2021 to just the 39th percentile in 2025. The outfielder admits that the discomfort "was holding me back." Nootbaar -- who played a career-high 135 games this season but produced a career-low .686 OPS -- has not been ruled out for Opening Day next season, but because the surgery he had is uncommon, there's uncertainty regarding how long his rehab will take.