Three St. Louis Cardinals players recently underwent surgeries, the team announced Friday. Lars Nootbaar had procedures on both heels, while Brendan Donovan had sports hernia surgery on October 7. Ivan Herrera had bone spurs removed from his elbow on October 15. According to John Denton of MLB.com, Nootbaar’s operation involved shaving down Haglund’s deformities. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch added that recovery timelines for all three players remain unclear.
Nootbaar is coming off his most durable MLB season. The 28-year-old appeared in a career-high 135 games and exceeded 500 plate appearances for just the second time. Aside from a rib injury in late July and a brief knee issue in August, he stayed relatively healthy throughout 2025. However, his offensive output dipped. Nootbaar posted a disappointing .234/.325/.361 slash line with a career-worst 96 wRC+. His plate discipline remained solid, but his power dropped off significantly—his .361 slugging percentage was over 50 points lower than his previous career low, and his .128 ISO was not ideal for a corner outfielder.
Nootbaar is eligible for arbitration this offseason, with MLBTR’s Matt Swartz projecting him to earn $5.7 million.
Donovan battled multiple injuries in 2025, most notably a groin strain in August. He initially tried to play through it before landing on the injured list, appearing in only eight games over the final weeks of the season.
Those injuries cut short what was looking like a breakout year for Donovan. He hit .329 through May before dealing with turf toe. He made the All-Star team and carried an OPS near .800 into the break. While his production dipped in the second half, he still finished with career highs in batting average and slugging percentage, along with an excellent 119 wRC+.
Donovan is also headed for arbitration, with a projected salary of $5.4 million—slightly below Nootbaar.
Herrera also dealt with several injuries this season, though the elbow issue is his first upper-body problem. He missed most of April with knee inflammation and later sat three weeks in the summer with a hamstring strain.
Herrera made an early statement with a three-homer game, tallying 11 RBI in the team’s first seven contests. Even after the knee injury, he kept hitting, carrying an OPS over .900 before the hamstring setback. He slumped in July and August but rebounded with a huge September. Herrera ended his first full MLB season with an impressive .284/.373/.464 line and has consistently produced when in the lineup. He even played some outfield as the Cardinals searched for ways to keep his bat in the order.
With multiple catching options on the roster, St. Louis often used Herrera at designated hitter. A trade could thin out that depth, but regardless, Herrera is expected to receive regular playing time next season either behind the plate or at DH.