Los Angeles Angels: Albert Pujols Undergoes Foot Surgery

Albert Pujols has had foot problems for the past few years. Recently, the Los Angeles Angels slugger has undergone surgery to release the plantar fascia on his right foot.

Last year, Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols had undergone surgery on his foot to help relieve his plantar fasciitis issues. That procedure healed in time for Pujols to play a full season, posting a .268/.323/.457 batting line, hitting 31 homers and driving in 119 runs. While he may not have been the Pujols of old, he was still a powerful bat in the middle of the Angels lineup.

However, his foot was still problematic. The plantar fasciitis that Pujols has been dealing with since his time with the Cardinals had flared up again, causing Pujols problems last season. As such, Pujols has once again had foot surgery on his plantar fascia in his right foot. With a recovery time of four months, he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2017 season.

This does cause more concern for the Angels. They still owe another $140 Million to Pujols over the next five years, and his production has decreased virtually every season since he left St. Louis. While he is still a power bat, Pujols just does not have that same ability to get base hits and get on base.

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The ten year, $240 Million contract that the Los Angeles Angels had signed Pujols to after 2011 was already going to be an albatross in its later years. Even though he had performed well with the Cardinals, and appears to be a lock for the Hall of Fame, the hope was that the early part of his contract would justify the overpayments later.

Instead, even though Pujols has hit for power, he has not been close to the player the Angels hoped for. His overall .266/.325/.457 batting line has resulted in a 123 OPS+, but the Angels expected much more. Now, with his continued foot issues, and surgeries in consecutive years, it may be fair to wonder if they will ever receive anything close to the player they expected to be signing.

At this point, it seems as though the Angels best option is to let Pujols serve as their designated hitter, and keep him out of the field as much as possible. In letting Pujols just worry about his hitting, and staying away from first, the Angels may find a way to recoup some of their investment.

Next: Astros bring back Carlos Beltran

Albert Pujols has undergone another surgery on his foot. The Los Angeles Angels contract just looks worse and worse with each passing year.