Cardinals star addresses struggles: 'I don't know what the answers are'

Nolan Arenado blasted a two-run homer in the Cardinals' 7-1 win over Cincinnati on Tuesday, giving St. Louis hope that its struggling third baseman may finally snap out of a season-long slump.

On Monday, following a 3-1 loss to the Reds, Arenado admitted that he's searching for answers at the plate.

“It’s bad,” he told John Denton of MLB.com about his hitting. “The swing is not good."

“I’m a guy that pulls the ball in the air and I haven’t done that all year. I don’t know what the answers are. I’ve got to continue to try to find it. I can see the difference of when I was good and when I’m not, but trying to apply it in games right now is really hard for me.”

The 33-year-old tallied at least 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in from 2015 to 2022, excluding the shortened 2020 season. He narrowly missed both marks in 2023 with 26 and 93, respectively, but this season he has just four home runs and 25 RBI through 52 games.

Arenado’s current slugging percentage (.366) and OPS (.677) would rank as his lowest season totals for his 12 year career. The lack of production from Arenado has hurt a Cardinals’ offense that ranks well below the league average in every major offensive statistical category. 

Worse yet, Arenado’s defense has always been highly regarded, but he made a costly error in Monday’s loss that led to two Reds runs, which gave them the lead for good. 

Not all has been bad for St. Louis in May, though.

Despite Arenado’s struggles, the Cardinals have won 11 of their past 14 games and jumped to third in the National League Central.