Cardinals rumors: Mozeliak dishes, Wainwright update, Goldschmidt moved

St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Paul Goldschmidt moving in the lineup?

Could the reigning National League MVP move down in the Cardinals batting order after slashing just .252/.357/.387 in his 111 at-bats since the All-Star break? There have been whispers about what to do with Goldschmidt in the batting order after his recent struggles, but performances like Monday night’s will likely keep Goldschmidt in the heart of the order.

Facing the Oakland A’s at Busch Stadium, Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with a home run, single and three walks to help push the Cardinals to a 7-5 win. Moments like that will remind Cardinals fans of what Goldschmidt can do when his swing comes together, manager Oliver Marmol said.

“He goes in and out of feeling good with his swing, and sometimes it’s a lengthy period, but his ability to survive during that time by taking the singles the other way, he’s good at that,” Marmol said after the win. “Some people end up slumping through the entirety of that stint. But he still figures out a way to do a little bit and help.”

This season, Goldschmidt has only batted second or third, including Tuesday night’s win when he settled into the second spot of the order behind Tommy Edman and ahead of Nolan Arenado. With flashes of production, it would likely take a prolonged slump (and a lot of conversations between the veteran Goldschmidt and Marmol) for any kind of move down in the lineup to happen.