Nootbaar Begins the Long Road Back, Pushard Decision Looms

The Cardinal Chronicle
Nootbaar Begins the Long Road Back, Pushard Decision Looms
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The Cardinals’ injury picture is beginning to move from “wait and see” to “decision time,” with Lars Nootbaar expected to begin his minor league rehab assignment this weekend and Rule 5 right-hander Matt Pushard nearing the end of his rehab clock.

Nootbaar, who opened the season on the 60-day injured list after offseason surgery on both heels, is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Friday with Low-A Palm Beach. It will mark his first game action of the season and the first real step toward rebuilding what amounts to a delayed spring training.

The plan is expected to start carefully in Palm Beach before moving him to higher levels as his timing, legs and workload allow.

For Nootbaar, this is not a simple “play three games and come back” rehab assignment. He missed spring training and has not appeared in a regular-season game, so the Cardinals will need to see more than just a healthy swing. They need to see how the heels respond to running the bases, playing the outfield, recovering between games and handling the daily grind again.

If there are no setbacks, a late-May or early-June return remains a reasonable target. But with Nootbaar, the Cardinals would be wise not to rush the calendar. The bat matters, but the feet are the story. Until he proves he can move well and recover well, the assignment is about building a foundation, not just checking a box.

Pushard presents a different kind of decision.

The right-hander, on the 15-day injured list with right knee patellar tendinitis, has been rehabbing with Triple-A Memphis. Because he is a Rule 5 pick, the Cardinals cannot simply stash him in the minors once he is healthy. His 30-day rehab window is reaching its limit, meaning the club must decide whether to activate him to the major league roster or risk exposing him through the Rule 5 process.

Pushard has helped his case. Over his last several rehab outings, he has pitched well enough to make the conversation real, allowing just one run over a six-inning stretch with eight strikeouts and three walks.

That does not guarantee him a spot, but it does make the decision more interesting. The Cardinals have been getting useful work from their bullpen, and roster flexibility always matters. Still, with a Rule 5 arm, the calculation is not just about today’s bullpen. It is also about whether the organization believes the stuff is worth carrying through the season.

Ramón Urías remains on the 10-day injured list with right elbow lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow. The Cardinals placed him on the IL on May 5, with Thomas Saggese recalled in the corresponding move. Urías had been struggling at the plate before the injury, hitting .158 with two home runs and five RBIs in 25 games.

The elbow issue is the kind of injury that can linger if rushed, especially for an infielder who has to make quick, high-stress throws across the diamond. For now, the best path is patience. The Cardinals need the joint to calm down before they can get a clearer read on when he might resume throwing.

On the pitching side, the longer-term injury list remains the more sobering part of the organization’s depth chart.

Richard Fitts remains sidelined by a lat injury, a setback that takes another depth arm out of play at a time when every organization is counting innings like pennies in a coffee can.

Tekoah Roby and Cooper Hjerpe remain in the long recovery lane after major elbow procedures. Roby’s timeline points toward missing the season, while Hjerpe’s path remains dependent on when he is cleared for a full rehab progression. Those are not short-term solutions. They are long-term investments, and the Cardinals have to treat them that way.

The immediate watch now turns to two names: Nootbaar and Pushard.

Nootbaar’s rehab assignment gives the Cardinals a path toward getting a regular outfielder back into the lineup. Pushard’s situation forces the front office into a roster call that cannot be kicked down the road much longer.

That is the nature of the Trainer’s Table this week. Some injuries are about healing. Some are about timing. And some, like Pushard’s, become roster decisions whether the club is ready for them or not.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
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