The St. Louis Cardinals currently hold a 50-46 record, placing them third in the competitive NL Central. However, their performance has dipped recently, losing seven of their last ten games due to injuries affecting key players like Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras. Lars Nootbaar, a promising outfielder, was placed on the 10-day injured list due to rib pain after struggling through discomfort. Despite these setbacks, the Cardinals remain in contention for the NL wild-card, just 2.5 games back. Nootbaar, who has seen a decline in his batting average this year, aims to regain his form and contribute to the team's playoff aspirations.