MLB Player News

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Nootbaar (heels) will be evaluated this week for potential placement on the 60-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Bloom noted that the team's current wish is to avoid the 60-day IL with Nootbaar, as the transaction would leave him ineligible to make his season debut until late May. However, that decision will be made after the Cardinals get a better sense of how far Nootbaar is along in his rehab from offseason surgery on both heels. Per Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com, Nootbaar is slated to take batting practice with minor leaguers at the team's spring training complex Tuesday. St. Louis will use a combination of Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin in left field until Nootbaar is ready.

Friedl started in left field and went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Monday's spring game against Milwaukee.

Friedl is capping off a productive spring, during which he's slashed .326/.400/.442 with six walks, two doubles, one home run, six RBI and nine runs scored over 16 Cactus League games. The start in left field was his fourth, as manager Terry Francona continues to toy with various outfield alignments. Friedl is expected to mostly play center field and be the team's leadoff batter in the regular season.

Carroll started in right field and went 0-for-3 in Monday's spring game against the Guardians.

Carroll made his first appearance in the field since returning from surgery to remove a broken hamate bone. His previous five Cactus League appearances were as the designated hitter. With no setbacks as a fielder, Carroll will be the Opening Day starter in right field, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. He's had just 17 at-bats over six games this spring, far fewer than in previous years, so there could be some lag to start the regular season while he gets his timing down.

Moniak was removed from Monday's exhibition after injuring his right ring finger while diving back into first base, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.

Skipper Warren Schaeffer stated after the game that Moniak was removed simply as a precaution, and he expects the 27-year-old to be fine, per Henry. However, it'll be worth keeping a close eye on Moniak's status with Opening Day looming.

The Cubs and Crow-Armstrong reached an agreement Monday on a six-year, $115 million contract extension, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Crow-Armstrong is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which he hammered 31 home runs and swiped 35 bags while playing in 157 of 162 games during the regular season. His patience is expected to pay off tremendously after he declined to participate in extension talks ahead of the 2025 season. With his finances now in order, the 23-year-old can focus solely on putting together another terrific campaign as Chicago's everyday center fielder.

Alcantara was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, per MLB's transactions log.

Alcantara failed to secure a spot on the Cubs' Opening Day roster and will now report to Triple-A, where he'll open the 2026 campaign. He slashed .266/.348/.468 with 17 home runs, 69 RBI, eight stolen bases and 56 runs a year ago with Iowa and should be in the running for a promotion later in the year.

Conrad (back) is expected to miss roughly the first month of the minor-league season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs selected Conrad with the 17th overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, but the young outfielder didn't make his pro debut last year as he recovered from shoulder surgery he had toward the end of his collegiate career. Conrad will now wait a little longer to take the field as he deals with an unspecified lower-back issue. The 21-year-old is considered a fairly polished offensive prospect, and the team will likely be cautious to not rush him back after an extended layoff.

The Cubs informed Conforto on Sunday that he would be on the team's Opening Day roster, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

This was widely expected in recent days, particularly with Seiya Suzuki battling a knee injury. With Suzuki officially headed to the injured list to begin the regular season, Conforto's roster spot became secure. The veteran outfielder has taken a bit of a step back from a contact perspective the past few years, including in 2025, when he sported just a .199 batting average and .638 OPS across 138 regular-season games for the Dodgers. Conforto still has a little pop in his bat, however, having blasted 32 home runs across the last two seasons combined. He could be a short-term fantasy option if he gets off to a good start, though Suzuki's eventual return will cut into Conforto's overall value.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Church will get some run in left field while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is sidelined, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese are the others in the mix for left-field reps. Church is the only one of the three that bats left-handed and that's a natural outfielder, which could give him a leg up for playing time early on. However, Marmol noted Monday that he does not plan to employ a strict platoon. Church is known more for his glove than his bat, but he have a breakout year offensively with Triple-A Memphis in 2025, slashing .329/.386/.524 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases.

The Cardinals reassigned Velazquez to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

A non-roster invitee this spring, Velazquez put himself in position for a major-league roster spot by hitting .357/.449/.667 with four home runs and a 7:4 BB:K during Grapefruit League play. However, the Cardinals ultimately decided to send the 27-year-old to Memphis to start the season. Velazquez could still get a look with the big club if he gets off to a hot start in the minors, though that could depend on how quickly Lars Nootbaar (heels) makes it back.