Cardinals' superstar appears to display lack of effort on back-to-back nights

For his entire career, Nolan Arenado has been known as one of the hardest workers in any given clubhouse. His defensive work is meticulous, his attention to detail is enviable, and his professionalism is contagious. There are few players over the last dozen years who can lay claim to being one of the best players in baseball, and Arenado has that mantle.

However, Nolan Arenado appears to be lacking 100% effort in recent games, and it's being noticed by fans and media members of the St. Louis Cardinals alike.

It all started Sunday afternoon against the Washington Nationals. Arenado was up in a 3-2 game in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs. The Cardinals' offense had been stone-cold over the last five games, and output by their star third baseman was necessary. Arenado rolled a 1-2 slider straight to the second baseman, and it turned out to be a double play.

What caught the attention of Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat was Arenado's lack of hustle. Sure, the double play was inevitable, but it's taught from the lowest levels of baseball that you run out a play regardless of its potential outcome.

There were then two instances on Monday night's game against the Texas Rangers that made fans and other media members also question Nolan Arenado's recent effort. Late in Monday night's game against the Rangers, Adolis Garcia hit a high-bouncing ball back up the middle. Arenado, playing in due to the runner on third, charged the ball and made a rare fielding error.

The error isn't the issue here; Arenado's demeanor after misplaying the ball is. He walked away immediately after the ball bounced off his glove despite the play still being live. Garcia would have taken second base without Brendan Donovan's efforts to retrieve the loose ball. Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN shed light to this event as well on Twitter/X.

The second play in question from Monday night's game came on a groundball that was hit to Arenado's left. He is usually one to take an extra step or two to settle his feet prior to a throw which is exactly what he did. Arenado's throw, usually one with some zip behind it, was a soft toss to first that resulted in a close-play single for Josh Smith in the 6th inning.

Nolan Arenado's offensive and defensive output these past two years has been below his career norms, and few people are as frustrated with this than Arenado himself. However, seeing a player who typically puts forth maximum effort throughout any given game exert energy like these plays is surprising.

The Cardinals are in the middle of a playoff push, and they'll need everything Nolan Arenado can provide for them. If his effort continues at levels like the last two nights, don't be surprised to see the Cardinals at home in October. If he can perform close to his career norms over these final two months, the Cardinals could find themselves in the postseason. Perhaps the Cardinals' recent re-acquisition of Tommy Pham will help fire Nolan Arenado up.