The St. Louis Cardinals play the Chicago Cubs this afternoon and look to win their first series against their NL Central rival. A series win would put the Cardinals just 2.5 games behind the division leaders and continue their recent positive momentum.

A win, though, will have to come slightly short-handed as Cubs starter Shota Imanaga makes his return from the injured list. Before the game, Jeff Jones reported that outfielder Lars Nootbaar received a pain-relieving injection in his intercostal and that injection requires 48 hours of inactivity. That means that Nootbaar should expected to be back in the lineup on Friday against the Guardians if he takes well to the therapy.

Garrett Hampson, the newest Cardinal, is playing center field today for the second game in a row after being acquired at the beginning of the week. He takes the spot of Victor Scott II, who has struggled in June and does not fare particularly well against left-handed starters. Hampson went 0-3 in last night’s 8-0 loss, but he threw a shutout ninth inning on three pitches to keep the bullpen fresh for today’s game. While Hampson is not a powerhouse at the plate, he has hit .500 with a 1.500 OPS against Imanaga while Scott hits lefties to the tune of a .498 OPS.