Miami Marlins not concerned with Giancarlo Stanton's slump

Giancarlo Stanton has notably struggled the last few weeks, but the Marlins are not yet concerned with his performance, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

Privately, the Marlins insist they aren’t overly considered and believe this is simply a slump. The Marlins have not considered asking him to go to the minors, and his permission would be needed anyway, because he has more than five years of big-league service.

Stanton, who has been the face of the Marlins' offense, is batting a mere .192 in addition to 12 home runs and 29 RBIs over 53 games. He had success to open the season, but his production since has dropped significantly.

Manager Don Mattingly has used several different lineups to try and aid Stanton, who is viewed throughout the league as an ideal three or four hitter. Perhaps, as MLB.com's Joe Frisaro noted last week, having Stanton bat second would help him turn things around quickly, since he might receive an extra at-bat each night. However, it doesn't seem to be something the Marlins have considered.

Miami, which sits at third place in the National League East entering Monday night's contest against the Padres, hasn't been unable to produce altogether in Stanton's absence. But when Stanton has success, so does the rest of the Marlins' lineup.

Stanton's struggles are arguably the most notable because of the coaches he has around him. If Mattingly, Barry Bonds and Frank Menechino can't figure out the issue, there could be a bigger problem.

If Stanton, whose last home run came on May 24, was not the face of the Marlins franchise, he likely already would be in Triple-A. The organization has not been hesitant to send struggling players to the minors, as it did with Marcell Ozuna last summer.

At this stage, Stanton almost certainly wouldn't accept a minor league assignment. But something needs to be done in order for him to consistently produce again.