Lars

Nootbaar

Nootbaar came off the bench and went deep for the first time in a Diamondbacks uniform when he took Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert out to right field in the sixth inning. It was his fourth round-tripper of the season.

There was some optimism that Perdomo would be able to give it a go after making an early exit from Monday’s series opener with left knee soreness. The 26-year-old receives some additional time off to rest and recover with veteran Ildemaro Vargas taking over at shortstop with recently acquired Lars Nootbaar moving up to the leadoff spot in his absence. Perdomo appears likely to avoid the injured list and remains day-to-day for now.

Nootbaar heads to Arizona as a quality option against right-handed starters and won’t reach free agency until 2028. The 28-year-old corner outfielder has hit .234/.333/.354 with three homers and one steal in 183 plate appearances for the Cardinals since making his season debut back in early June.

It’s a bad sign for rookie Ryan Waldschmidt as Arizona appears poised to land Nootbaar in a buzzer-beater. The 28-year-old drew significant interest across the league with the Diamondbacks finding a way to get the deal across the finish line. He represents an immediate upgrade for Arizona against right-handed starters.

“Whether the Astros can meet St. Louis’ asking price is another matter. One source described the Cardinals’ ask as “astronomical,” which does not bode well for a club short on prospect capital,” Rome adds. Nootbaar missed most of the first few months of the season and is hitting .241/.347/.366 over 170 plate appearances. Nootbaar is under team control through the 2027 season.

Nootbaar is back in left field and hitting eighth after coming off the bench during Sunday’s series finale against the Reds. He made an early exit from Saturday’s contest due to dehydration after feeling lightheaded. The 28-year-old outfielder has hit .241 (32-for-133) with three homers, 15 RBI and one steal in 41 games since making his season debut back on June 5.

Nootbaar didn’t start after leaving Saturday’s game due to dehydration and lightheadedness, but that was probably at least partly due to a left-hander being on the mound for the Reds. Nootbaar entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and stayed in to play three innings in left field.

He was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored before departing. The Cardinals are facing a lefty in Andrew Abbott on Sunday, so Nootbaar might get a day off, at least at the start.

Nootbaar’s home run was his third. He hit a three-run home run off Reynaldo Lopez in the first inning. Nootbaar walked, stole second base and came around to score in the fourth inning. He’s hitting .265 with a .781 OPS and 12 RBI in 102 at-bats.

Nootbaar had a single and a walk earlier in the game before starting the bottom of the ninth inning with a double. While he would come around to score, the Cardinals’ rally would fall one run short of tying the game. Nootbaar continues to mash at the plate since being activated. He’s hitting .291 with an .867 OPS and seven RBI in 16 games.