PHILADELPHIA — A wince that barely interrupted an at-bat Wednesday in Cincinnati could prove to be far more disruptive for the Cardinals’ lineup.
Lars Nootbaar, an agent of change during the Cardinals’ recent rise in the standings and surge of production, strained an oblique muscle along his left side during a swing in the seventh inning against the Reds. The damage was diagnosed Thursday during a scan taken in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, and the left-handed hitter, who slugged .520 over the past 14 games, went on the 10-day injured list. He’s expected to miss several weeks, his manager said.
Nootbaar’s extended absence assures at least one other outfielder an opportunity.
To replace one of their guiding hitters over the past several weeks, the Cardinals turn to another of their better batters in the past month. Alec Burleson entered Friday night’s start with a .302 average in May. He had a recent 11-game hitting streak snapped in Cincinnati, but during that stretch he hit .422 with a .600 slugging percentage — and the Cardinals went 8-3. He provides a left-handed bat with a contact knack and power upside that slides snugly into Nootbaar’s No. 2 spot in the order.
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“That is exactly the way I’m thinking about it,†manager Oliver Marmol said.
The Cardinals promoted infielder Jose Fermin from Class AAA Memphis to take Nootbaar’s spot on the active roster. Fermin is set to start Saturday in Philadelphia, and he has been taking fly balls and working in the outfield at Memphis in preparation for possible appearances there in the majors. At Triple-A, Fermin has hit .346 this season with a 1.076 OPS and twice as many extra-base hits (10) as he has strikeouts (five) in 104 at-bats.
Jordan Walker has hit .277 since going to Memphis at the end of April, and he’s elevated his OPS (.697) and on-base percentage (.321). What the Cardinals are looking for him to do is increase the damage from his swings. Walker has yet to hit a home run at any level this season, and the Cardinals did not want to promote him to replace Nootbaar without the guarantee of playing time.
“He just needs to develop,†Marmol said, adding “there is†playing time for Walker in the majors when the club believes he’s ready. “Just because we have a need doesn’t mean we disrupt that.â€
The need is lessened due to Burleson.
He and Dylan Carlson figure to get additional starts during Nootbaar’s absence. When Brendan Donovan was a late scratch Friday night due to a stiff neck, Carlson started in right field. Burleson already was in the lineup and moved to left. It’s his bat that put him at second, but improvement in the field is where the playing time started for Burleson. He spent the offseason improving his jumps, quick movements, and running after a conversation with the Cardinals about his role for 2024.
“We really like your bat and it’s going to play over time,†Marmol said, recalling the talk with Burleson. “And in order for you to get more at-bats, you’re going to have to play in the field. And the way we’re going to feel comfortable doing that is if there’s improvement.â€
There has been.
The playing time has followed.
Now it’s certain to increase.
What’s behind Winn’s schedule
With an off day bookended by Wednesday’s day game at Cincinnati and Friday night’s game in Philadelphia, the Cardinals saw a chance to steal more than 48 hours off each for their infielders on the left side. Nolan Arenado had Wednesday off and returned to the lineup Friday night, when rookie Masyn Winn had a night off to chill with his 18-game hitting streak.
The Cardinals want to stay ahead of the fatigue factor with Winn, a National League Rookie of the Year candidate who has yet to play more than 120 games in any professional season. The Cardinals also intend to be proactive to avoid back soreness that has slowed the young infielder previously.
“We’ve got to stay ahead of it for it not to be an issue,†Marmol said.
A fallout from how well Winn has played — no one in the majors has a better line drive rate, few shortstops keep pace with his Defensive Runs Saved, and his 18-game hitting streak is the second-longest ever by a Cardinals rookie — is limited playing time for veteran Brandon Crawford. The original plan was to target Crawford for starts with better matchups, such as right-handed starters like Philly’s Aaron Nola, but Winn’s superb play has him in the lineup more often. On Friday, Crawford made only his third start in 24 days.
Pallante earns encore
With six scoreless innings Wednesday against the Reds, Andre Pallante did enough with his cameo in the rotation to earn a return engagement.
Pallante will remain on turn as the road trip continues and start Tuesday for the Cardinals in Houston. The right-hander returned from Class AAA Memphis with a two-seam, sinking fastball that makes him more effective against right-handed hitters, and with that pitch this past week he was able to sidestep three walks and three hits in six strong innings at Cincinnati. Pallante’s four-seam fastball has a natural cut to it that makes it tricky for left-handed batters, and he touched 97 mph with it Wednesday in the 5-3 victory.
He needed a pitch that could get inside on right-handed batters and give them a different look than the four-seamer or his slider. The answer was a sinker he got to throw over and over and over and over again as a starter for the Triple-A Redbirds. That pitch touched 96 mph in his return to the majors.
Middleton & other updatesReliever Keynan Middleton had a scan taken of his right forearm and elbow Friday in ºüÀêÊÓƵ to determine the cause of renewed soreness and plot a course of treatment. Middleton also sought a second review of the MRI to go with the one from the Cardinals’ medical team and allow for a collaborative agreement on his next steps.
The right-hander made five appearances and pitched four innings on a rehab assignment with Class AA Springfield. He had discomfort in the forearm after appearing on back-to-back days and that caused an alarm that something more severe than a forearm strain had happened near or within Middleton’s elbow.
Elsewhere on the injured list: Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement) began his rehab assignment officially Friday with Class AAA Memphis. … Steven Matz (lower back injury) threw a second bullpen session Friday in ºüÀêÊÓƵ — a significant stride toward a rehab assignment for the lefty starter. … Riley O’Brien (flexor tendon strain) will throw a bullpen session over the weekend, and depending how the right-handed reliever recovers he could soon face hitters in a controlled setting before beginning a rehab assignment.