Nootbaar went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Diamondbacks.
Nootbaar doubled in his final at-bat of the contest to send home Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. It was only the left fielder's fourth multi-base hit of the season, though he's now driven in two runs in two of his last three games. Nootbaar has also hit safely in six of his last seven contests, but is still yet to put together a multi-hit performance.
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Cardinals' Kyle Gibson: Sharp after rough start
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Gibson (2-2) earned the win against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks over six innings while striking out six.
Gibson got off to a rocky start, allowing back-to-back hits while also hitting Joc Pederson with a pitch to open the game. However, the right-hander managed to escape the inning with only one run coming across before shutting out the Diamondbacks over the next five frames. Gibson has now gone at least six innings in each of his first five starts to open the season, posting a 20:12 K:BB over that stretch. He's also gone two starts without allowing a home run after allowing at least one long ball in each of his first three outings.
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: In Wednesday's lineup
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Contreras (hand) will start at designated hitter and bat second in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
He made an early exit from Tuesday's loss to Arizona with lingering left hand soreness, although Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said afterward that Contreras' removal had more to do with the lopsided score. Contreras intends to continue playing through discomfort, but might see more reps at DH than catcher, opening up starts behind the plate for Ivan Herrera.
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Cardinals' Alec Burleson: Sitting against lefty
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Burleson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
While his path to regular playing time against right-handed pitching has opened up a bit with Jordan Walker getting optioned to Triple-A Memphis earlier Wednesday, the lefty-hitting Burleson is still projected to sit regularly against lefties. Burleson's absence from the lineup Wednesday thus comes as little surprise with southpaw Jordan Montgomery on the hill for Arizona.
The Cardinals recalled King from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
King will provide the St. Louis bullpen with a fresh arm after Zack Thompson -- who gave up seven earned runs over two innings of relief in Tuesday's 14-1 loss to the Diamondbacks -- was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move. Acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline last summer, King has previously made 22 total appearances as a member of the Cardinals, logging a 1.71 ERA while collecting 10 holds and one win over 21 innings.
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Cardinals' Jose Fermin: Recalled from Triple-A
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The Cardinals recalled Fermin from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Fermin was off to a fantastic start with Memphis, slashing .350/.458/.650 with four home runs, five steals and a 3:11 K:BB over 18 games. The 25-year-old will offer utility infield depth for the Cardinals, and it's possible he gets some starts at second base against lefties.
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Cardinals' Jordan Walker: Sent down to minors
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The Cardinals optioned Walker to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Walker has hit just .155/.239/.259 this season and was recently demoted to the eight spot in the Cardinals lineup. Rather than letting Walker continue to work through his struggles at the big-league level, the Cardinals have elected to have the 21-year-old do it in a lower-pressure situation at Memphis. Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera could both see upticks in playing time while Walker is in the minors.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Dispatched to minors
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The Cardinals optioned Thompson to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Thompson broke camp with the Cardinals in a starting role, but he was moved to the bullpen upon Sonny Gray's return from the injured list earlier this month after giving up eight earned runs over 10.1 innings between his first two turns through the rotation. The left-hander didn't adapt well to the shift to a relief role, as he produced a 13.50 ERA, 2.25 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB in 6.2 innings across his three appearances out of the bullpen before St. Louis opted to send him to the minors. Thompson will likely slot into the rotation as he heads to Memphis.
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Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Will play through hand injury
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Contreras admitted after Tuesday's loss to the Diamondbacks that his left hand "doesn't feel good" but is "nothing that will keep me away from the game," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Contreras missed four games earlier this month with an injury that was suffered back on April 3. He homered in his first plate appearance for the Cardinals' lone run Tuesday before eventually exiting after the fifth inning in the blowout loss. Manager Oliver Marmol said the lopsided score was the bigger reason for Contreras' departure, and the catcher seems adamant that he will continue to play through the injury. Contreras is slashing .326/.426/.500 in 13 games since getting hurt, so while it's clear he's not 100 percent, it does not appear to be affecting his offensive performance.
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Goes yard in blowout loss
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Contreras went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 14-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Contreras provided a positive start for the Cardinals with his first-inning blast, but it quickly went off the rails for the home team after that. The catcher saw his 11-game hitting streak end Monday, but he's still been one of the Cardinals' most consistent bats so far. He's slashing .292/.418/.523 with three homers, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, six doubles and a stolen base over 19 contests. Manager Oliver Marmol has committed to getting both Contreras and Ivan Herrera regular at-bats, so they have often shared catcher and designated hitter in recent weeks.
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Cardinals' Steven Matz: Rocked by D-Backs
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Matz (1-2) took the loss Tuesday against Arizona, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
All of the runs against Matz came in the third and fifth innings. In the third, he walked a pair of batters and allowed an RBI base hit to Lourdes Gurriel before Christian Walker launched a three-run homer. in the fifth, Matz allowed hits to three straight batters, two which scored after he was pulled. After giving up three earned runs in his first 15 innings, Matz has surrendered 12 earned runs in his last two starts (9.1 innings) with eight K's and six walks. He's lined up to face the Tigers in Detroit on Monday.
Winn went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Winn has gone 3-for-13 with two walks, a double, a steal and two runs scored over his last four contests. The shortstop is in a starting role and leads the Cardinals with a .323 batting average. He's added an .824 OPS, four steals, six RBI, eight runs scored, three doubles and two triples, but he has yet to hit a home run this season. Winn should see a majority of the playing time at shortstop, with Brandon Crawford around to spell him occasionally.
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Cardinals' Nolan Gorman: Breaks slump with walk-off blast
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Gorman hit a two-run, walk-off home run in his lone at-bat in Monday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Gorman was given Monday off, but he ultimately entered the game as a defensive replacement. His lone at-bat ended the game, as he took Kyle Nelson deep in the ninth inning to complete the Cardinals' comeback win. Gorman has four homers, 10 RBI, six runs scored and three doubles over 84 plate appearances this season, but he's slashing just .179/.238/.372 and striking out at a 38.1 percent clip, so he's not out of the woods yet. Gorman should continue to play against most right-handers, but he'll rarely be in the lineup versus southpaws.
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Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Lifts second homer
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Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Goldschmidt's slow start has been the cause of much consternation for St. Louis, and it's led to him batting fifth in the last two games. He's gone 3-for-7 since the drop in the order, so it looks like the change is at least having a short-term effect. The first baseman is batting a meager .195 with a .566 OPS, two homers, nine RBI and eight runs scored over 94 plate appearances. Goldschmidt's track record will give him a lot of leeway to work out of his struggles, but it's possible that the 36-year-old may be starting to feel his age as well.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Snags second win
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Helsley (2-2) earned the win Monday versus the Diamondbacks, allowing one hit and striking out one without walking a batter in a scoreless inning.
Helsley has allowed just one unearned run over his last six appearances, though that led to a loss. He was able to back into the win Monday, keeping the game tied in the top of the ninth inning before Nolan Gorman hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the frame. Through 12 appearances, Helsley has a 2.25 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 13:1 K:BB while converting seven of his eight save chances.
Middleton (forearm) played catch from 110 feet Saturday and Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The Cardinals haven't followed up about how Middleton responded to his latest long-toss session, but assuming he didn't experience any complications with his strained right forearm, he could soon be cleared to start throwing off a mound again. Middleton hasn't pitched since suffering the injury in a March 7 Grapefruit League game, but once healthy, he's expected to be a key part of the late-inning bridge to closer Ryan Helsley.
