After a few steps back, Wong moving forward

ST. LOUIS — With Jhonny Peralta’s return looming, the Cardinals are already working through various solutions to make what will soon be an overcrowded infield more manageable. A recent surge by second baseman Kolten Wong may only complicate things further.

After trudging through the season’s first month trying to enact changes to the setup of his swing, Wong has found positive traction recently. He entered Tuesday enjoying a 10-game stretch in which he’s hit .355/.444/.516 with a .961 OPS. The results have been standout, sure, but so has the approach, with Wong extending at-bats with more regularity and showing improved plate discipline.

To get here, he said on Tuesday, he had to first accept a step backward.

“We knew it was going to be tough, because I was doing a lot of changes to my swing to work toward making it better,” Wong said. “I told [hitting coach John Mabry], as long as I know what I’m working toward, I’ll take the struggles early, and I can make the adjustments later.”

Those changes, as Wong explained in more detail, had mostly to do with his leg kick, and he has shortened the distance his foot travels from start to finish as part of that timing mechanism. That, …

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