Cardinals star trending in right direction at the plate

Less than two months ago, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado told the media he was searching for answers at the plate amid a season-long slump that saw him hit just four home runs with 25 RBI through 52 games.

As the season starts back up after the All-Star break, there's optimism that Arenado is figuring things out at the plate. That's great news for the Cardinals, who are 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central division and currently holding a one-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for a wild-card spot.

Arenado is hitting .320 with 16 hits, a home run and six RBI through 13 games in July. While the power hasn't yet returned for the veteran third baseman, he has logged six multi-hit games over the last 10 contests, including a 4-for-5 effort in a 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals on July 5. His overall batting average has climbed 11 points from .259 to .270 during the month.

His production coincides with a reduced number of strikeouts. In each of the first three months of the season, Arenado struck out at least 16 times, but midway through July he's been fanned only three times.

If the Cardinals are to make a run at the Brewers, who they are currently 1-6 against while being outscored 42-16, then Arenado must play a larger role than he has to date. St. Louis has the best record in the National League since May 12, but it won't be sustainable unless their biggest star turns the power on.

Arenado's eight home runs and 40 RBI with a .704 OPS through 90 games are well below his average output in that span. In his previous three seasons as a Cardinal, Arenado has averaged 18 homers, 61 RBI and had an OPS over .800 through the first 90 games of the season.

Should Arenado's swing continue to improve and his power return, it will be a cherry on top for St. Louis. The Cardinals have played well without his usual production, but for an October run that's the standard expectation for the franchise, St. Louis needs its star to find his groove.

Batting average is a nice start, but home runs and RBI are two of the reasons Arenado is paid star dollars.