St. Louis Cardinals SIDELINE Lars Nootbaar Until End Of May! JJ Wetherholt TAKES OVER at 2nd Base

Lars Nootbaar lands on the 60-day IL as the St. Louis Cardinals reshape their outfield plans for Opening Day 2026. J.D. Hafron explores the implications of Nootbaar’s double heel surgery and the battle among Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese, and José Fermín to claim the vacant left field spot. With rookie standout JJ Wetherholt making the big-league roster, Cardinals fans have a promising new face to rally behind, and Hafron questions who will step up until Nootbaar returns.

Key topics include bold MLB.com predictions—from Joshua Baez’s home run potential to the emergence of Leonardo Bernal behind the plate—and the club’s biggest unknown: can Jordan Walker finally deliver on his star promise? Hafron evaluates roster depth, pitching prospects like Matthew Liberatore and Richard Fitts, and how upcoming position battles could define St. Louis’s season. Will this young, hungry squad surpass expectations or continue to rebuild?

00:00

Nootbaar IL & Roster Moves

09:34

Bold Predictions Breakdown

18:40

Team Outlook & Unknowns

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-st-louis-cardinals/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

Everydayer Club

If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.

Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonstlcardinals.supercast.com/

Follow on Twitter/X: @JDSPORTSRADIO
Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

PlayStation
This episode of is brought to you by MLB The Show 26. Visit https://mlbthe.show/lockedon and use code “LOCKEDON” to unlock a pack for use in Diamond Dynasty. Pre-Order now, Available March 17th on PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. RATED E FOR EVERYONE.

Turbo Tax
Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert, and your documents get uploaded straight to your TurboTax app on the spot.
Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to find a store near you and book your appointment today.

Robinhood
You’re no longer just a spectator. Play by play. You decide. Trade Every Play with Robinhood.
Now available across the U.S. Download the Robinhood app now to begin. Futures and cleared swaps trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Event contracts are offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC., a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm.

Indeed
Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast

Gametime
Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel
Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. During the tournament FanDuel is offering $300 back in Bonus Bets every day for ten days. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#ForTheLou #stlcards #mlb #lockedoncardinals #stlouiscardinals

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.