Cardinals outfielder delayed the customary greeting of Chicago Cubs pitcher one day, but their batter-pitcher matchup will be delayed at least several weeks.
Nootbaar and Imanaga were teammates for the gold medal-winning Samurai Japan, Japan’s National Team, in the World Baseball Classic last year. The two were set to face-off for the first time in a major-league game in Friday night’s series opener at Busch Stadium.
However, thunderstorms forced the game’s postponement until July 13. The Cubs subsequently skipped Imanaga’s turn in the rotation instead of pushing his start back one day.
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“Any time you go against a great pitcher, you’re looking forward to it,” Nootbaar said on the field prior to Saturday’s game. “Obviously with the year that he’s having, a historic run. I just met up with him and talked to him a little bit today. I was definitely looking forward to it. Hopefully, sometime in the future we’ll be able to get that matchup.”
In accordance with the Japanese custom, Nootbaar, 26, sought out the elder Imanaga, 30, and greeted him on the field during batting practice on Saturday. Nootbaar was on his way to do the same with Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, 27, when he stopped and spoke to the Post-Dispatch.
Nootbaar, who was born in El Segundo, California, said he adheres to the custom as a “sign of respect” to his national teammates. Though, he decided not to seek out Imanaga on Friday with the left-hander preparing to start that night’s game.
Imanaga pitched professionally in the Japan Central League prior to signing with the Cubs this winter. So far this season, Imanaga posted the lowest ERA (0.84) of any starting pitcher — not including “openers” — in Major League Baseball since 1913 through his first nine starts. He’d allowed just five earned runs in 53 2/3 innings. He’d struck out 58 batters and walked just nine during that span.
Earlier this season, Imanaga became just the second starting pitcher in the majors since 1901 to have at least 35 strikeouts with four or fewer walks in the first six starts of his career. The other, Joe Ross, did so in 2015.
Imanaga was just one of the high-profile Japanese players who signed free-agent deals with MLB clubs this winter.
Starting signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Japan. Relief pitcher Yuki Matsui, who visited Ƶ as a free agent, signed with the San Diego Padres. Of course, two-way star and last year’s AL MVP Shohei Ohtani signed as a free agent with the Dodgers after previously rising to stardom with the Los Angeles Angels.
Nootbaar walked a line between trying to recruit some of his teammates from the Japanese national team and letting things play out.
“With Yamamoto, we had the same agent, so that’s why we were so connected,” Nootbaar said. “He was in LA for an extended period of time. So we were able to workout more. … You want to make sure they’re comfortable. These are life-altering decisions with them. I was trying to do everything I could with Yamomoto.”
Nootbaar joked that he tried to use his influence over Yamamoto as the older player. Though Nootbaar understood the importance of the process each of his international teammates went through.
“That part of it, I didn’t want to interfere too much, but I definitely told everybody about the perks of Ƶ and everything like that,” Nootbaar said. “At the same time, you want to give them that respect and make sure that they’re making a decision for their own right reasons.”
Wainwright in the analyst’s chair
Former Cardinals pitcher worked his first Cardinals game as a color analyst for the Fox national television broadcast on Saturday night. The right-hander wrapped up his 18-yaer career with the Cardinals last season and reached the 200-win milestone in his final start in September.
Saturday, Wainwright went through the normal pregame meeting between the broadcast team and Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
Asked how the dynamic between he and Wainwright has changed, Marmol replied, “Not much different because I keep up with him. We text back and forth. I spoke with him some time last week. So it’s not much different at all. He comes in asking some questions about the team, we got to talk through what he sees, what I’m seeing. Not much different at all.”
In the second inning, Cardinals injured starting catcher Willson Contreras (fractured forearm) joined the broadcast from the dugout via a headset. He and Wainwright interacted on the air during that broadcast.
Starts and stops for Naughton and Roby
Cardinals made a start for the club’s Florida Complex League affiliate against the Marlins on Saturday. Naughton, who made the opening day roster in 2023, appeared in just four games in the majors last season. He had flexor tendon surgery last year. The Cardinals assigned him outright to Triple-A Memphis this offseason and took him off of the 40-man roster. He was a non-roster invitation to spring training this year.
Highly regarded , acquired from the Texas Rangers as part of the trade that sent Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to the Rangers, went on the injured list for Double-A Springfield on Saturday. He’d gone 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA in seven starts this season. Roby had 33 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33 1/3 innings. Baseball America ranked Roby the No. 64 overall prospect in the minors entering 2024.