ATLANTA • Well after the Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to Atlanta on Tuesday night, manager Mike Matheny pondered what was happening with Allen Craig.

The Cardinals’ normal cleanup man had had four hits, including a home run and two doubles in the final game of a home stand a week ago Wednesday to jump his average over .200 for the first time this season. And then he proceeded to go two for 20 in the first five games of a nine-game trip to dip to .202.

“He’s frustrated,” said Matheny, who said he thought a week ago at this time that Craig had escaped his first-month funk. The proper course of action, Matheny determined, was to get Craig away from the battle for a couple of days, sitting him Wednesday night for rookie Randal Grichuk, with a scheduled off day today.

Matheny said, “(Craig) will be the one to tell you that he’s not far off.”

Craig, who spent much of the afternoon watching video, was not available to comment before the game, although he said afterward he had found something worthwhile in his viewing.