Cardinals star showed Red Birds what they’d been missing in season debut

The St. Louis Cardinals were hoping to rebound from their disastrous 2023 season, but their 2024 season was nearly derailed before it even began. The club dealt with significant injuries through the opening stages of the 2024 season, and a difficult schedule only compounded their issues. The Cardinals began the season with a humiliating 7-1 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers and ultimately dropped three games in the four-game series. They managed to climb closer to .500 after a series wins over the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins, but still sat in last place in the NL Central.

The Cardinals have a 7-7 record, but they're finally getting healthy. Star pitcher Sonny Gray made his team debut on Tuesday night and earned his first win of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies. The three-time All-Star shined in his return to the mound, and more reinforcements arrived shortly after in the form of their star outfielder.

Lars Nootbaar provides hope for a struggling Cardinals offense

Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar suffered two non-displaced rib fractures while attempting to field a ball during spring training, which forced him to miss the first 13 games of the 2024 season. After rehabbing for the past two weeks, Nootbaar finally returned to the Cardinals. Catcher Pedro Pagés was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to activate Nootbaar.

Nootbar made his 2024 debut on Friday and immediately displayed why he's such a significant part of the Cardinals team. In his first game back, Nootbar hit a 438-foot, two-run homer to give the Cardinals a a 6-0 lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks. St. Louis stretched their lead to 9-6 in the eighth to pull out a 9-6 victory.

While the Cardinals defense and pitching have been adequate, their offense has been underwhelming. The Cardinals have the 11th-lowest team OPS (.679), the 12th-lowest slugging percentage (.376), and a subpar average (.231) entering Saturday night.

"[Reserve shortstop Brandon] Crawford was joking with me before the game and asking me why I was so nervous, and I was like, ‘Man, this is Opening Day for me, Craw,'" Nootbaar said, h/t MLB.com. "Being around these guys, we have such a great group, and they kind of lift me up. And I really missed them, so I was excited for this."

Along with providing support for a thin outfield, Nootbaar will bring some pop to an offense that desperate needs it. The 26-year-old had the best season of his career in 2023, slugging 14 home runs with 46 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and slashed .261/.367/.418. He had a .784 OPS in 117 games.

He may be primed to follow it up with an even better year now that he's healthy, and the season is still young enough for the talented Cardinals to fight for a playoff spot.