Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar sits out of a game on Thursday, June 26, 2025, against the Cubs at Busch Stadium.
A few days after powering his way out of a prolonged slump and through some soreness in his left side, Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar was sidelined by a proactive treatment to reduce the pain completely.
Nootbaar received an anti-inflammatory shot late Tuesday night to address an injury in his left ribcage. The treatment required 48 hours of inactivity, leaving him unavailable for the final two games of the series against the Cubs. The plan was to give him two days so that he could return to the lineup Friday night in Cleveland.
That will hinge on how comfortable he is during pregame workouts.
“Feeling better and better every day,” Nootbaar said after the Cardinals’ 3-0 loss Thursday afternoon to the Cubs. “They say Day 3 is really the day that you can start feeling the difference. Hopefully wake up and be feeling a lot better. Ideally try to get back out there as soon as possible.
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“Wanted to nip it in the bud as much as possible.”
Nootbaar homered in the first two games of the Cubs’ visit to Busch Stadium this week and surged out of a weeklong search for his swing. In the five games before receiving the shot, Nootbaar hit .318 with a .773 slugging percentage and a 1.196 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). He went 7 for 22, and three of those hits were homers.
The Cardinals’ outfielder first felt soreness along his ribcage in Milwaukee, right in the nadir of his struggles. He was out of the lineup during that series, returning to everyday play for this homestand until Tuesday night. Nootbaar said he was not limited much by the injury, but there was concern that it would worsen if not treated. Games against two lefty Cubs starters offered a chance for that treatment.
The Cardinals, preferring to keep the Cubs thinking Nootbaar would be available off the bench, disclosed he was unavailable Thursday morning when he was not in the lineup for a second consecutive day.
Cubs core vexes Cards
In an 8-0 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday night, there wasn’t much the Chicago Cubs couldn’t do right.
The bats were hot. The defense was firing on all cylinders, especially the infield, which didn’t let many baseballs visit the outfield. On the mound, Matthew Boyd strengthened his All-Star candidacy, tossing six shutout innings while allowing just three hits. The performance marked his 11th quality start of the season.
“It felt like the game was over by the fifth inning just how he was pitching,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He just never gave them any hope to score. No rallies going on. Nothing. It was just a really, really well-pitched game.”
But it was a pair of Cardinal killers who highlighted Chicago’s offensive onslaught. And it didn’t take one of them long to do so.
On the first pitch of the game from Erick Fedde, Ian Happ put an inside fastball into the right field bleachers.
“Can’t ask for a better way to start that game,” Cubs catcher Reese McGuire said. “It kind of gave us a little breath right there, and (we were) able to get in the driver’s seat early.”
Happ’s instant offense bettered an already-glistening set of numbers against ӣƵ. His career slugging percentage of .569 against the Cardinals is his third-best against any MLB team entering Thursday. His 27 home runs against the Cardinals ranks behind only Cincinnati for his most home runs out of Chicago’s four National League Central compadres.
In the No. 2 spot, another All-Star candidate continued playing at a high level for the Cubs. Following a 3-for-4 evening Tuesday, Kyle Tucker went 2 for 4 on Wednesday, including a solo home run in the third inning.
Entering Thursday, Tucker had only played seven games against the Cardinals. But in those seven games, Tucker is batting .480, and his on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) sits at .800. He has 12 hits with two home runs and 10 RBIs, and both homers came in this series.
Hampson eager for opportunity
June has ushered in blistering heat and a splash of injuries for the Cardinals.
For Garrett Hampson, he enters ӣƵ seemingly fresh as a daisy.
“I’m so pumped to be here,” Hampson said.
The journeyman, who’s been on five teams since 2023 after five seasons in Colorado, was claimed off of waivers Tuesday after being designated for assignment by Cincinnati two days prior. Hampson joined the Cardinals during a heated rivalry series against the Cubs.
“I feel like I’m coming in at a really exciting time here,” Hampson said. “The fans seem to be super into it. Like I said, I’m just pumped to contribute.”
Wednesday’s contest likely didn’t go how Hampson expected. After starting the game in center field, Hampson moved to shortstop in the top of the eighth inning as part of a slew of defensive changes. In the top of the ninth, Hampson replaced Matt Svanson on the mound. He had the most efficient inning of the night for the Cardinals, retiring the side on just three pitches.
Hampson also made a little history Wednesday night. He became the first Cardinals position player to pitch in his team debut since Cody McKay on April 8, 2004. He also became the first player in MLB history to appear exclusively at center field, shortstop and pitcher in the same game.
Before the game, Hampson spoke of a desire to be flexible. Even amid defeat, that flexibility stretched beyond what many likely thought would happen Wednesday.
“It’s really cool,” Hampson said of being claimed by the Cardinals. “I try to soak it in the best I can. I’m just doing anything I can to help the team win and stay out of the way. These guys are rolling. It’s fun to join a team that has high hopes for the postseason. Hopefully, we can get it done.”
Fulmer DFA’d by Cubs
Ahead of Shota Imanaga’s much-anticipated return to the mound Thursday, Cubs reliever Michael Fulmer was designated for assignment in order to make room for the 2024 All-Star.
Fulmer had been called up from Class AAA Iowa on Monday and made two appearances against the Cardinals this week. In a combined three innings of work Monday and Wednesday, Fulmer allowed just two hits.
Imanaga was activated from the 15-day injured list after sustaining a left hamstring injury May 4 while running to cover first base. He made a strong rehab start Friday for the Class AAA Iowa Cubs, tallying eight strikeouts while shutting out the Nashville Sounds in 4 1/3 innings pitched. He‘ll look to pick up where he left off, as he sported a 2.82 ERA in 44 2/3 innings pitched entering Thursday.
