Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Collects five hits in twin bill
Rotowire
Goldschmidt went 5-for-9 with a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's doubleheader split versus the Tigers.
Goldschmidt had not collected five hits over any two-game span this season prior to Tuesday. Even with the strong performance, the first baseman is slashing a mediocre .236/.323/.318 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored, three doubles and a stolen base over 29 contests. Goldschmidt has yet to lose playing time amid his slow start, but that could change once the Cardinals get players like Dylan Carlson (shoulder), Tommy Edman (wrist) and Matt Carpenter (oblique) back from the injured list. On the positive side, Goldschmidt has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, so he may be turning things around enough to maintain his place in the lineup.
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Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Plates two, steals base
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Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 with two RBI while netting his first stolen base of the season in Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Mets.
Goldschmidt one-hopped a two-run double off the wall as part of a four-run first inning for the Cardinals. He added an infield single, a stolen base and another run scored. The former MVP also struck out three times Saturday and has fanned at an elevated 30.1 percent so far this season. The production on the whole has ticked up over the past week, however, with Goldschmidt going 9-for-27 (.333) with one home run and four RBI in that span.
Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
Goldschmidt's slow start has been the cause of much consternation for St. Louis, and it's led to him batting fifth in the last two games. He's gone 3-for-7 since the drop in the order, so it looks like the change is at least having a short-term effect. The first baseman is batting a meager .195 with a .566 OPS, two homers, nine RBI and eight runs scored over 94 plate appearances. Goldschmidt's track record will give him a lot of leeway to work out of his struggles, but it's possible that the 36-year-old may be starting to feel his age as well.
Goldschmidt is starting at first base and batting fifth Sunday against the Brewers.
The 36-year-old has a .173/.279/.213 slash line through 20 games this season and will drop below the cleanup spot for the first time since 2013, per Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com. Goldschmidt's track record provides plenty of reason to believe it's only matter of before he turns things around, but the move down the order is notable given his usual stability in the lineup.
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Taking seat Wednesday
Rotowire
Goldschmidt is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Phillies, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
It's a routine day off for Goldschmidt, who has just one hit in his last four games and is sporting a .544 OPS so far this season. Alec Burleson will fill in for Goldschmidt at first base Wednesday.
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Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Struggling to get going
Rotowire
Goldschmidt went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Phillies.
The 36-year-old has had a poor start to the young season, slashing .200/.319/.275 with 13 strikeouts through 40 at-bats. It's possible that Goldschmidt's age is finally starting to show, but he's still a seven-time All-Star who won an MVP just two years ago. His average may not match those from previous years, but the veteran first basemen should still have some power left in the tank for 2024.
Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt: Homer, three hits in loss
Rotowire
Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.
Goldschmidt accounted for all three of the Cardinals' hits Thursday, including a fourth-inning homer off Tyler Glasnow that stood at St. Louis' lone run in the Opening Day defeat. The veteran first baseman slashed .268/.363/.447 last season with 25 home runs and 80 RBI. The Cardinals are counting on Goldschmidt to provide a similar offensive presence in the middle of their order this year.
