ST. LOUIS — After going 0-3 against the San Francisco Giants May 8 of this season, Paul DeJong's future as a Cardinal looked murky at best.
Sent down to Memphis after hitting .130 in 24 games in the majors in 2022, DeJong was tasked with finding his mojo again.
84 days later, he returned. And so far, he's looked like someone who could be a key piece of the 2022 puzzle after all.
DeJong is hitting .240 in the eight games since his return to the big leagues, but all of his six hits have been for extra bases. He has three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs since his Jul. 30 return, and his hits have had a certain dramatic flair as of late.
In the Cardinals' series sweep of the Yankees, DeJong roped a two-run, eighth-inning, go-ahead double on Friday, and a three-run, eighth-inning, go-ahead home run on Sunday.
And for the 29-year-old shortstop, it feels good to be home.
"It just feels right. Just happy to be here and thankful for my opportunities every day to play here and I really appreciate the faith the organization has had in me. And for me to be back here, it means a lot, to be able contribute this way, especially in the way we did it today, and this whole series. This whole time I've been up, baseball's been so much fun," DeJong said.
DeJong has been allergic to singles since his return, but the power surge isn't a conscious effort. It's just the result of being comfortable up at that plate.
"I've had a few lineouts, some hard ground balls that didn't get through. But if I can continue with guys in scoring position, big spots, just stay within myself and allow my natural ability to take over, it's not like I'm trying to hit extra-base hits, but it's just a product of getting a good pitch and just being relaxed," DeJong said.
As for his team, DeJong thinks this hot streak including the sweep of the mighty Yankees could help drive the Cardinals forward.
"It's a great test for us. It's almost like playoff baseball. You saw how long that game was today back and forth. Just a great series. One to nothing yesterday, and we come back in the eighth the other night... Just a really fun series. Those games could have gone either way but super happy with the way our group responded. Every punch they gave us we threw one back," DeJong said.
And DeJong thinks the sweep does show the rest of the league that the squad in St. Louis can play with anyone.
"It shows we're a real team and a real threat. We have everything we need in this clubhouse and everything we need to win. I think we showed it this series. For us now it's just about continuing that progress, never settling, continuing to push the limit as far as beating teams but also putting up numbers like we all can. We have a great squad here top to bottom. Everyone here is committed and I think we showed how much we're willing to fight this series," DeJong said.