Asked how long it took him to feel comfortable in his new hot corner after he made his first truly sensational catch of the season on April 27, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado said it didn’t take him much, if any, time. As a creature of habit and a defensive whiz, such adaptations usually occur seamlessly.

It appears the same can be said of the bat.

The one lingering question following Arenado out of Colorado was his prowess in the box -- not just because of the left shoulder injury that derailed a 2020 campaign in which he had several career lows, but also because of the so-called Coors Field effect, which argues players in Denver enjoy inflated statistics with the high altitude and hitter-friendly park.

So call 40 games in Cardinals red -- about a quarter of the season -- Arenado’s first measuring stick post-Coors. He entered Sunday with a .295/.349/.545 slash line, eight homers, 26 RBIs and a 149 OPS+ (which would be a career high). And he left it with a .300 average, a ninth homer and two more RBIs.

In the month of May, entering Sunday, Arenado was leading the National League in slugging percentage (.722), OPS (1.146) and total bases (39). He shared the lead in hits (20) and was second in batting average (.370).

For good measure, he added a homer in his third consecutive game during a 5-3 series-finale loss to the Padres.

“He's tied for first, for me, as one of the hardest workers that I've ever played with, just in all phases of his game,” said longtime friend and now teammate Matt Carpenter. “... He's 100% healthy, and he's showing it every day [and] every pitch the way he's playing now.”

One source of concern for Arenado was the contrast of his home/road splits as a member of the Rockies. In 2019, his best overall season by several metrics (including bWAR and fWAR), Arenado owned a 1.057 OPS at Coors Field and a .866 OPS away from it.

But as outlined by MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, and as the case with other Rockies-turned-Cardinals (such as Matt Holliday and Larry Walker), splits once removed from Coors start to level out. Take Arenado’s first 40 games of 2021, where he marginally hit better away from his home park:

• Home (20 games): .274/.346/.521, four homers, 13 RBIs, 138 OPS+
• Road (20 games): .313/.352/.566, four homers, 13 RBIs, 163 OPS+

“Nolan’s going to hit wherever he plays,” Carpenter said.

If anything, it has been Arenado’s glove that has come around in a more modest sense. He already has as many errors (three) through 40 games as he compiled last season. Teammates, though, have spoken to the intangible differences Arenado has made to their overall defense.

That was never a worry. Neither was the bat, truth be told, within the clubhouse walls.

“To be honest -- and he even says it -- I don't think he's even gotten really going to the point that we all know he can as far as getting on a real hot streak,” Carpenter said. “I think that's coming.”

Now pitching ... Carpenter
Carpenter has asked to be the Cardinals' go-to position player on the mound for years now. With a scoreless outing on Saturday at the tail end of a drubbing at the hands of the Padres, he finally got his chance.

Carpenter now owns the lowest ERA among Cardinals with the last name Carpenter (minimum 1 1/3 frames). Sorry, Chris and Cris.

"My sister texted me and said now when people ask her, 'Oh, your brother is the Carpenter that plays for the Cardinals, the pitcher?'” Carpenter said. "She can say yes now."

Bird droppings
• Right-hander Carlos Martínez (right ankle sprain) came out well from a bullpen session at Busch Stadium on Sunday, Shildt said, focused on pushing off his ailing ankle. Left-hander Andrew Miller (right foot toe blister) also threw at Busch.

• Right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon (right shoulder inflammation) threw a pair of scoreless innings for Memphis on Saturday, striking out a pair but walking three. He’ll likely rejoin the club on Tuesday, where an activation or further rehab hangs in the balance.