Oliver Marmol Details Reason Behind Nolan Arenado's Absence from Lineup on Thursday

Nolan Arenado was notably absent from the St. Louis Cardinals' starting lineup on Thursday. Thankfully for Cardinals fans, the reason wasn't injury-related according to manager Oliver Marmol.

Cardinals News

Marmol indicated his All-Star third baseman has returned home to St. Louis for the birth of his first child, as reported by team insider Derrick Goold.

Arenado will miss Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs as a result, although he could rejoin St. Louis at some point during this weekend's series against the Atlanta Braves.

The All-Star third baseman has been one of the most valuable players in baseball this year, ranking second in FanGraphs WAR (6.5) behind only Aaron Judge (7.9). To this point, Arenado owns an impressive .300/.365/.557 slash line alongside 26 home runs and 82 RBIs. That's not even mentioning his hold over the title for best defensive third baseman in baseball.

Arenado currently has the second-best odds to win NL MVP (+1200) on FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds, only behind teammate Paul Goldschmidt (-470).

His brief absence shouldn't affect those odds too much. If anything, this late-season breather could help keep him fresh for the stretch run after playing in 116 of his team's 124 games thus far. Plus, his new dad strength might help him hit a few more home runs after he returns.