Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols to miss over four months after surgery
By Kris Daly
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is expected to miss the next four and a half months after undergoing surgery last week to repair the plantar plate in his right foot.
Pujols experienced a rejuvenation of sorts in 2015, batting .244/.307/.480 with 40 homers and 95 RBI. It at times felt like his first truly memorable Pujols-esque season for the Halos since signing a ten-year, $240 million deal back in 2011.
With $165 million over six more years still owed to Pujols through 2021, this news is particularly troubling for Angels fans. Injuries and a periodic lack of production have been recurring themes for Pujols during his time in L.A.
Pujols had struggled with the foot issue late in the season, playing the final month exclusively as a designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup.
According to new Angels GM Billy Eppler, the slugger tried to rehab his foot with rest after the season but slow results forced him to undergo surgery instead. Pujols is almost certain to miss the majority of Spring Training and could be in jeopardy of missing some early games in April.
This development comes at a time when the microscope is definitely on the Angels heading into an offseason in which they are expected to fill several glaring holes on the roster including second base, third base and the starting rotation.
The mid-season firing of former GM Jerry Dipoto raised signals that owner Arte Moreno was growing restless and the onus now falls on Eppler to deliver a winner, especially when the Angels have arguably baseball’s best player in outfielder Mike Trout.
The window for success could be closing on the Angels and it will remain to be seen if Pujols can make a full and speedy recovery at his age and the wear and tear of 15 seasons as a first baseman.
The contract given to Pujols seems to get uglier by the day. It may be the last time we see one of these mega ten-year, $200-plus million deals given to a position player over the age of 30, and rightfully so.
Look out for the Angels to make a run at free agents Yoenis Cespedes or Daniel Murphy when the hot stove heats up later this month.
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Pujols going down is a major blow and you can bet Moreno and company will try to patch the 2016 roster around this major injury. Prince Albert may be relegated to DH duties more often as his career progresses, similar to the situation with the New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez.