ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar off the injured list on Monday.
Nootbaar has been out of the Cardinals lineup since sustaining a lower back contusion after he crashed into the outfield fence on May 29.
On Sunday, he went 4-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs with the team's Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds.
In 42 major league games this season, the 25-year-old is batting .266 with four home runs and 21 RBIs.
He will slide into the Cardinals lineup Monday afternoon against the Washington Nationals, batting third between Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, and starting in right field.
The Cardinals also optioned first baseman Luken Baker to Memphis in part of Nootbaar's return to the team.
Baker, 25, made his major league debut on June 4 and went 4-for-14 in four games.
The Cardinals begin their three-game series against the Nationals Monday afternoon. They will then head to London to take part in the 2023 MLB London Series against their rivals, the Chicago Cubs, on Saturday, June 24, and Sunday, June 25.
The team currently sits in last place in the National League Central with a record of 29-43. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
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