St. Louis Cardinals

Lars Nootbaar

LF

A previous report indicated that the Cardinals were aiming for June 1 for Nootbaar's season debut, but it seems he will remain on his rehab assignment a bit longer. The 28-year-old has looked good in his first 10 rehab games spread across three affiliates, slashing .259/.412/.519 with two home runs and a 7:4 BB:K. Nootbaar is working his way back from offseason double heel surgery.

Nathan Church

LF

It's a necessary first step in Church's rehab, but he's still in the early stages of recovery and there remains no timetable for his return from a left shoulder strain. Lars Nootbaar (heels) appears poised to beat Church back from the injured list, which will likely lead to a dip in playing time for Church after he returns.

Ramon Urias

3B

Working his way back from tennis elbow, Urias has progressed to taking dry swings and doing plyometric exercises. He'll resume throwing any day now but is likely still 1-to-2 weeks away from a rehab assignment.

Packy Naughton

RP

Naughton has been sidelined at Triple-A Memphis since early April due to elbow trouble, and he's now officially opted to undergo surgery for the third time in the last two years. A timeline for his return will emerge after his procedure, though there's a strong chance that he will end up missing most, if not all, of the remaining 2026 schedule.

Sem Robberse

SP

Robberse was non-tendered by St. Louis on Friday, but the club has since elected to bring him back on a minor-league deal. He's currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the first few months of the 2026 campaign.

Victor Santos

RP

Santos reached Triple-A for the first time in 2022, but he missed the entire '23 campaign while dealing with an injury. He'll likely report to Triple-A Memphis to begin next season and fill in as organizational rotation depth.

Ixan Henderson

SP

Henderson reported to Cardinals camp in spring training with a flexor strain in his pitching arm and is now slated to miss at least the first two months of the minor-league season. It's unclear whether the left-hander has resumed throwing or remains shut down. Henderson had a breakout 2025 season at Double-A Springfield, holding a 2.59 ERA and 134:51 K:BB in 132 innings across 25 starts.

Zack Thompson

RP

Thompson was attending big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, but he hadn't appeared in any Grapefruit League games while continuing to work his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, which he underwent back in August. The southpaw has initiated a throwing program but hasn't yet gotten back on a mound, so he still has multiple checkpoints to reach in the recovery process before being deemed ready for game action.