St. Louis, MO — Busch Stadium was still brightly lit, and the fans were still chanting “Noot!” But in a corner of the locker room, Lars Nootbaar – a player who once stirred the crowd with his powerful swings – could only quietly watch his teammates play on the screen.
“I miss the sound of the ball hitting the bat,” Nootbaar shared, his voice hoarse with emotion. “I miss the feeling of running on the field, I miss the pressure, and most of all, the moment of contributing to the team.”
A seemingly small injury but a long-lasting haunting
A seemingly insignificant costochondral sprain was a cruel “suspension” for an offensive player like Nootbaar.
Every turn was excruciating. Something as simple as swinging a bat became torture. The most painful thing, as he admitted, was not his body – but the helplessness of watching his teammates fight while he could not play.
“I thought I would be fine in a few days, but now I can’t hit the ball, I can’t help… And I don’t know when I’ll be back,” he choked out.
The silence of a warrior’s heart
Nootbaar is not only an important hitter, but also a symbol of positive energy for the Cardinals. People remember the image of him smiling brightly, shrugging his shoulders and celebrating with the crowd after each home run.
Now, the silence appears on that face – and it is also a rare time for Nootbaar to reveal fear:
“What I fear most is the feeling of being left behind… Fear that the day of return will never come.”
Teammates and faith never fade
Coach Oli Marmol and his teammates still text and encourage him every day. Brendan Donovan once joked: “You just rest, we will take care of the ‘magic’ on the field.”
But Nootbaar understands that the Cardinals are in a tough spot, and he wants to do more than just sit on the sidelines. “I just hope I’m healthy enough to get out there, even if it’s just to run a base, or just do whatever I can to help the team,” he said.
Waiting for the day to return
No one knows when that day will be. Nootbaar doesn’t know either. But he’s still working out every day, still praying for the next time he can put on a Cardinals jersey, step onto the field, and hear the crowd chant his name again.
Because for Lars Nootbaar, baseball is more than just a sport – it’s his breath, an integral part of who he is.