Often times when MLB players decline an invitation to the Home Run Derby, it has to do with not wanting to get into bad swing habits with plenty of season remaining.

For St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker, that wasn't a thought, as he accepted invitation and went on to shock the baseball world by winning the event.

Since then, though, Walker has been feeling the effects of those swing changes as he's struggled to get going in the second half of the season.

Jordan Walker is in a major slump

Over the last seven days, Walker has just four hits in 26 at-bats and a weak slash line of .154/.214/.231 with no home runs. In a more extended stretch, Walker is just 9-for-46 (.195) since the All-Star break and has yet to homer in that stretch.

During his slump, Walker's season batting average has dropped from .294 to .283, and his season OPS has fallen from .887 to .849 in just 13 games.

What is the fix to come out of the slump?

One promising thing about Walker's slump is that he's not striking out at an abnormal rate. His season strikeout rate of 24.4% is actually just a touch higher than the 23.9% strikeout rate he's posted since the All-Star Break.

It would seem that a bit of bad luck has played a role in Walker's misfortunes, something that will need to swing back toward the good side if the Cardinals have any hopes of making a postseason run.

Walker will almost certainly be in Wednesday's lineup against Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. In his career, Walker is 2-for-3 with a home run against Boyd, meaning that Wednesday night may be the night for Walker to break out of his slump and get rolling once again.