JUPITER, Fla. — As Nolan Arenado walked to the plate for his final at-bat of his first spring training with the Cardinals, bench coach Oliver Marmol leaned over to manager Mike Shildt to warn about a possible lineup change coming.
Arenado told Marmol before the game he was going to hit a home and call it a day. One swing, end spring. In the first inning Monday at Roger Dean Stadium, Arenado golfed a low pitch from Mets starter Taijuan Walker 137 yards (or 411 feet) and over the left-field wall for his first home run as a Cardinal.