| Date | News | Comment |
| Oct 31 2022 | Pujols signed his retirement paperwork Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols managed to turn back the clock during the second half of the 2022 campaign, but it wasn't enough to persuade the slugger to stick around for one more season. He'll hang it up after slashing .296/.374/.544 to go with 703 homers, 2218 RBI and 117 stolen bases over an immaculate 22-year career. |
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| Oct 5 2022 | Pujols isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols started the last five games and went 6-for-12 with three home runs, a double, 10 RBI and six runs, but he'll get a day off for Wednesday's regular-season finale. Lars Nootbaar is serving as the designated hitter and leading off. |
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| Oct 3 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In what's becoming a regular occurrence late in the year, Pujols reordered another part of baseball's record book. His two-run blast gave him 2,216 career RBI, passing Babe Ruth for second place all-time, behind only Hank Aaron's 2,297. Pujols got to the lofty spot with a surge of offense, which has seen him homer five times and drive in 13 runs in his last eight contests. The future Hall of Famer is up to a .269/.344/.551 slash line with 24 homers, 66 RBI, 42 runs scored and a stolen base in 108 contests. |
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| Oct 2 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 7-5 loss to Pittsburgh. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Batting third in his final regular season game at Busch Stadium, Pujols crushed his 702nd career home run, a 409-foot shot to center field. The future Hall of Famer also hit a ground rule double in the first inning to score two runs, but the offensive explosion was still not enough to give St. Louis the win in his last regular season home game. Pujols now has eight home runs in 26 games since the beginning of September and is slashing .268/.344/.543 through 346 plate appearances this season. |
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| Oct 1 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a 2-1 victory over the Pirates on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols turned on a 1-2 offering from Johan Oviedo in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Cardinals on the board with a solo shot to left field that tied the game. It was his 701st career home run and the 22nd home run of his storybook 2022 campaign, which saw Pujols become only the fourth player in MLB history to reach the 700-home run mark. Pujols is slugging .527 in 298 at-bats this season. The last season in which Pujols slugged at this high of a rate was in 2011 (.541). |
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| Sep 28 2022 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Milwaukee, John Denton of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-4 win, Pujols will get a breather Wednesday after he and the Cardinals celebrated a division-clinching victory the night before. Now that he's reached 700 home runs for his career and with St. Louis having punched its ticket to the postseason, the 42-year-old Pujols seems likely handle a part-time role over the final week of the regular season. |
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| Sep 25 2022 | Pujols is not in the lineup Sunday against the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols launched two homers Friday to reached 700 for his career and went 1-for-4 with run Saturday, and he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale. Juan Yepez will bat fifth as the designated hitter. |
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| Sep 23 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs and five RBI in an 11-0 win against the Dodgers on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols plated Tommy Edman with homer 699 off Andrew Heaney in the third inning and took reliever Phi Bickford deep to left the very next inning to make history with his 700th career home run. The 42-year-old's .250/.324/.583 September slash line has dipped from the vintage lines of August and July, though Pujols' is still raking against left-handers with a .358 average and his .868 OPS is his highest by far since 2011. |
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| Sep 17 2022 | Pujols isn't in the lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols started at first base during Saturday's matinee and went 0-for-3 with two walks. Paul Goldschmidt will take his place at first base while Nolan Arenado rests his legs as the designated hitter during the nightcap. |
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| Sep 11 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in a 4-3 win Sunday in Pittsburgh. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols crushed a two-run shot in the ninth inning to put St. Louis ahead 3-2. It was his second homer in as many games and the 697th of his career, passing Alex Rodriguez and taking over sole possession of fourth all-time. With 21 games left the 42-year-old is within striking distance of 700 and could very well be in search of that milestone when St. Louis returns to Pittsburgh for the final three games of the season. On July 9, with Pujols hitting just .198 with four homers it seemed impossible that he would pass Rodriguez, let alone reach 700. Since then he's posted a .333/.388/.722 slash line with 14 homers in 139 plate appearances. |
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| Sep 10 2022 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' game-tying blast in the sixth inning was the 696th of his career, tying him with Alex Rodriguez for fourth-most in baseball history. Entering Saturday, Pujols had slowed down a bit, going 0-for-12 over his previous four games after a surge at the plate in August. The 42-year-old legend is up to a .266/.339/.520 slash line with 17 homers, 46 RBI, 30 runs scored and a stolen base through 283 plate appearances this year. He'll have up to 22 more games in 2022 in his pursuit to become the fourth member of the 700-homer club. |
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| Sep 4 2022 | Pujols hit a two-run home run in his lone at-bat during Sunday's 2-0 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hit for Lars Nootbaar in the eighth inning and took Cubs reliever Brandon Hughes deep for the only scoring play of the contest. The homer was Pujols' ninth in 26 games since the start of August, and the 695th of his illustrious career. The veteran slugger is slashing .272/.348/.526 with 16 homers, 43 RBI, 29 runs scored and a stolen base through 267 plate appearances in 2022. |
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| Aug 29 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, two runs scored and a walk in Monday's 13-4 victory over Cincinnati. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going deep seven times in a 10-game span, Pujols had been stuck in a six-game homerless stretch entering Monday's game. He then knocked a two-run shot in the third inning, giving him 15 on the year and 694 in his historic career. Pujols has caught fire this month in his quest for 700 home runs; he's now 22-for-54 (.407) with eight homers and 16 RBI through 21 August appearances. |
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| Aug 22 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 1-0 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Even on an evening when offense was incredibly scarce -- the two teams combined for only five hits -- Pujols found a way to continue a blazing stretch at the plate that has now gone on for nearly two weeks. The 42-year-old produced half of his team's hits, and he accounted for the only run of the contest with his solo shot to left field in the seventh inning. Over 10 games since Aug. 10, Pujols is batting a mind-blowing .548 (17-for-31) with seven homers and 14 RBI. The scorching stretch has pushed his season stat line to a more-than-respectable .277/351/.530. He's still seven homers away from reaching 700 for his career, but with the way he's been playing of late, the lofty goal isn't necessarily out of reach. |
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| Aug 20 2022 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with two solo home runs and was caught stealing in a 16-7 win over Arizona on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols posted a vintage line with solo shots in the second and fourth innings off Arizona starter Madison Bumgarner while adding singles in the sixth and seventh before being removed. The 42-year-old has been exceptional during limited action in August, slashing .452/.514/1.064 with six home runs in 31 at-bats. Pujols' .858 OPS is on pace to be his best since 2012. |
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| Aug 19 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and a grand slam during Thursday's win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols pinch hit for Brendan Donovan in the third inning and slugged his 16th career grand slam and sixth career pinch-hit homer, but it was the veteran catcher's first career pinch-hit grand slam. With the blast, Pujols sits at 690 career home runs and has 11 during his age-42 campaign. In 80 plate appearances against left-handed pitching this season, Pujols is hitting .363 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. |
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| Aug 15 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four total RBI in Sunday's win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols launched a solo shot in the second inning to put St. Louis on the board, then hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning to solidify the win for the Cardinals. The home run gives him three for the month after hitting three in all of July. So far this month, the veteran is batting .368 and has improved his season batting average from .235 to .249. Pujols is inching closer to 700 career home runs, as he sits at 689 after Sunday's two-homer performance. |
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| Aug 10 2022 | Pujols went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, two total runs and two total RBI in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was part of a big first inning for St. Louis, singling in the second of five runs in the frame. He also smacked a 412-foot solo homer in the the sixth for the 687th long ball of his storied career. The four-hit game was his first since 2018, and these were his first four hits in August. |
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| Jul 31 2022 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols saw his streak of three straight starts come to an end in Saturday's 7-6 loss, and he'll remain on the bench for the series finale while Brendan Donovan gets a turn as St. Louis' designated hitter. Even though Tyler O'Neill (leg) is day-to-day and Juan Yepez (forearm) and Harrison Bader (foot) remain on the injured list, Pujols looks like he'll be limited to short-side platoon duty moving forward. |
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| Jul 30 2022 | Pujols isn't starting Saturday against the Nationals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols started the last three games and went 4-for-11 with a home run, a double, four RBI, a walk and a strikeout. Nolan Gorman will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth. |
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| Jul 27 2022 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run and a double in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Blue Jays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hasn't hit a triple since 2014, so he was never realistically going to have a chance at a cycle. It was still an impressive three-hit performance, with his fifth-inning homer accounting for insurance runs for the Cardinals. The 42-year-old slugger has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 14-for-36 (.389) in that span. He's up to seven homers, 24 RBI, 18 runs scored, a stolen base, eight doubles and a .241/.321/.420 slash line in 187 plate appearances. |
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| Jul 26 2022 | Pujols will start at first base and bat fourth Tuesday against the Blue Jays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Paul Goldschmidt (personal) unavailable for the two-game series, Pujols will fill in for him at first base. The 42-year-old typically slots in against left-handers but he'll take on righty Jose Berrios on Tuesday. Pujols has gone 3-for-6 with a double since the All-Star break. |
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| Jul 22 2022 | Pujols isn't in the lineup Friday against the Reds, John Denton of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols started six of the Cardinals' seven games prior to the All-Star break and hit .304 with two homers, a double, six runs and two RBI. Brendan Donovan will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh. |
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| Jul 17 2022 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, John Denton of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting in six of St. Louis' previous seven games, Pujols will retreat to the bench for the final contest of the first half while Nolan Arenado gets a turn as the designated hitter as he manages a back injury. Pujols, who went 7-for-23 with a pair of home runs and two walks over his last six starts, will get a couple of days to rest up before he plays for the National League on Tuesday after being named an honorary All-Star for the Midsummer Classic in Los Angeles. |
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| Jul 13 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols opened the scoring with his second-inning solo shot. He's found a little bit of a groove lately, going 5-for-11 with two homers, a double and three runs scored in his last three games. The 42-year-old is up to a .219/.306/.394 slash line with six long balls, 20 RBI, 14 runs scored, six doubles and a stolen base in 160 plate appearances. He'll likely continue as the designated hitter versus most left-handed pitchers, though he's also started three straight games against righties. |
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| Jul 12 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 6-1 win over the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 42-year-old got the start at DH and smacked his 1,378th career extra-base hit in the seventh inning, moving him into sole possession of third place on the all-time list -- and breaking a tie with fellow Cardinals legend Stan Musial in the process. Pujols doesn't have enough time left in his career to surpass Barry Bonds (1,440) for second place or Hank Aaron (1,477) for first, but that is still excellent company to be keeping. In the final campaign of his Hall of Fame career, Pujols is slashing .216/.301/.373 with five homers and 19 RBI through 49 games. |
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| Jul 10 2022 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in a 4-3 win Sunday over Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols singled in the second and hit a solo blast in the sixth off lefty Cristopher Sanchez. In the eighth, he led off with a single and was pinch-run for by Dylan Carlson, who came around to score the winning run later in the frame. The long ball ended a 63 at-bat homerless streak for the 42-year-old. |
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| Jul 7 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a double in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols accounted for two of the Cardinals' seven hits in the low-scoring contest. This was his first multi-hit effort since May 22, and the double was his first extra-base hit since June 12. The 42-year-old continues to struggle in a limited role, slashing .200/.290/.336 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs scored, a stolen base and five doubles through 145 plate appearances. He'll likely continue to make most of his starts as the designated hitter against southpaws. |
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| Jun 22 2022 | Pujols went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols knocked in Nolan Arenado in the fourth inning. Playing time has been a bit thin for Pujols lately -- he's appeared in seven games in the last two weeks, going 3-for-21 (.143) in that span. He's posted a .198/.298/.342 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBI, 11 runs scored, four doubles and a stolen base in 38 contests. The 42-year-old could see an uptick in playing time while Tyler O'Neill (hamstring) is out, as Juan Yepez is expected to see more time in the field to free up the designated hitter spot for Pujols at least against southpaws. |
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| Jun 7 2022 | Pujols is just 4-for-25 (.160) in his last nine games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has already seen limited playing time this year, and his current slump isn't doing anything to earn him more starts. The 42-year-old could be in line for a further reduced role with Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) returning Tuesday and Dylan Carson (hamstring) likely not far behind. That could push rookies Juan Yepez and Brendan Donovan into the designated hitter spot more often, as their bats have commanded more playing time than Pujols, who is now slashing. 211/.324/.367 in 31 contests. |
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| May 22 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with two homers, four RBI and a strikeout in Sunday's 18-4 win over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols came off the bench during Sunday's matchup, but he had his first multi-homer game of the season while going yard for the first time since April 17. The 42-year-old has had sporadic playing time this month and has hit just .200 with two homers, eight RBI, six runs and a stolen base over 12 games. |
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| May 18 2022 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base Wednesday in a loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols knocked in the Cardinals' first two runs with a second-inning single, and he followed with another single and a stolen base in the fourth. The unexpected theft was the veteran's first this season -- he was caught in his only other attempt after going 13-for-13 on stolen-base tries over his previous six campaigns. Pujols has knocked in three runs over his past two games after notching only one RBI across his previous 12 contests. |
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| May 8 2022 | Pujols has gone 2-for-23 in his last nine games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols began the season with hits in four of his first five contests, but he's only hit safely in two of his last nine. The designated hitter's slump has opened up playing time for prospect Juan Yepez, who has multiple hits in four of his five games since he was called up to the big leagues. Pujols is slashing .220/.319/.390 with two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored in 14 games, and he'll likely only play a part-time role going forward. |
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| Apr 17 2022 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols tied the game at 3-3 with his third-inning blast off Brewers starter Aaron Ashby. Playing time has been limited for the right-handed Pujols -- he's mainly seen the short side of a platoon so far, but he's now 5-for-15 with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in four games. |
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| Apr 13 2022 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' first hit Tuesday was his first-inning homer, his first long ball in his second stint with the Cardinals. He added a pair of singles and came around to score again in the fourth on an Andrew Knizner three-run shot in the fourth. Pujols isn't expected to receive regular playing time -- he'll mainly see the short side of a platoon with Corey Dickerson as the two veterans share the designated hitter spot. |
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| Apr 11 2022 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates, John Denton of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was deployed as the Cardinals' designated hitter in Thursday's season-opening win, but the starting assignment appeared to be mostly ceremonial while he donned a St. Louis uniform for the first time since the 2011 campaign. He'll now be on the bench for the third game in a row, as manager Oliver Marmol goes with Lars Nootbaar as the team's DH. Pujols' future starting opportunities will likely be limited mostly to left-handed pitching. |
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| Apr 5 2022 | Manager Oliver Marmol confirmed Pujols will start at designated hitter in the Cardinals' season opener Thursday against the Pirates, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though the righty-hitting Pujols is expected to fill the short side of a platoon at DH this season and make the occasional start at first base when Paul Goldschmidt needs a day off, the 42-year-old will be in the lineup for the opener even though Pittsburgh is bringing a right-hander (JT Brubaker) to the hill. Marmol's decision to keep Pujols in the lineup is likely just a means of extending his streak to 22 consecutive Opening Day starts while allowing him to soak in the applause from Cardinals fans as he makes his return to St. Louis following a decade-long stint in Los Angeles. |
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| Mar 28 2022 | Pujols confirmed Monday that 2022 would be his final season, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was far from guaranteed that the 42-year-old would find a major-league deal anywhere this season, as he hasn't been an above-average hitter since 2016, but he wound up landing a one-year deal to return to where it all started in St. Louis. It appears likely that Pujols, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina will all embark on a season-long retirement tour this year. Pujols is 21 homers away from reaching 700, which may have motivated him to come back this season, but he may not play enough to get there. At the pace he's shown over the last five years, it would take him 535 plate appearances to homer 21 times. |
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| Mar 27 2022 | Pujols signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Cardinals on Sunday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals expressed increased interest in signing Pujols recently, and the two sides were ultimately able to reach an agreement for the 42-year-old to return to St. Louis. After a dominant stretch with the Cardinals to begin his career, Pujols will take on a different role during the 2022 campaign, serving as a right-handed bat off the bench while providing a veteran presence in the locker room. He appeared in 109 games between the Angels and Dodgers last year and slashed .236/.284/.433 with 17 home runs, 50 RBI and 29 runs. |
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| Sep 29 2021 | Pujols (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran slugger was placed on the COVID-19 IL on Tuesday while experiencing some side effects from receiving his second dose of the vaccine, and he'll rejoin the active roster after only one day. Pujols has appeared in 16 games (three starts) for the Dodgers in September, going 5-for-21 with two homers, five RBI and three runs. |
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| Sep 28 2021 | Pujols was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday since he's feeling some side effects after receiving the vaccine, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols recently received his second vaccine shot and will be unavailable for at least one day due to the side effects. The 41-year-old is eligible to be activated as soon as he's feeling well enough to play. |
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| Sep 8 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Cardinals on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The legendary slugger provided a dramatic return to the city in which he played the first 11 seasons of his big-league career, following a standing ovation with a solo shot to left field in the first inning. The blast was his 17th of the campaign and marked his second straight game in which he has gone deep. Pujols is slashing .260/.302/.491 with 12 homers and 37 RBI across 70 games since joining the Dodgers in mid-May. |
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| Sep 5 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run in a 6-4 loss to San Francisco on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Los Angeles trailing 6-2 in the ninth inning, Pujols halved the deficit with a 425-shot off San Francisco closer Jake McGee to give Los Angeles some life. With the Dodgers finally getting healthy, the future-Hall-Of-Famer has been relegated to the bench most games as he's only had more than one at-bat in one of his last seven appearances. |
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| Aug 21 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The first baseman launched a solo shot in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Pujols continues to see a limited role, as he's logged only 22 at-bats across 11 games in August. For the season, the 41-year-old has a .243/.291/.440 slash line with 15 homers, 45 RBI, 25 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases through 261 plate appearances. |
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| Aug 8 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 8-2 win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols came off the bench to replace Justin Turner and slammed a second-inning two-run homer off Reid Detmers to increase the Dodgers' lead to five runs. It was his first long ball against the Angels after they let him go earlier this year. The veteran is slashing .265/.310/.469 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and 15 runs scored in 158 plate appearances with the Dodgers this season. |
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| Aug 2 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, one run and three RBI in Sunday's 13-0 win over the Diamondbacks. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols broke the game open in the bottom of the second, when his bases-clearing double gave Los Angeles a 5-0 lead. The 41-year-old was included in the lineup for only the sixth time in the Dodgers' 16 games since the All-Star break, and his opportunities could grow even scarcer moving forward. With Corey Seager and Mookie Betts recently returning from the injured list, the Dodgers are only waiting on Trea Turner to come off the COVID-19 IL before the team will have its ideal starting nine at full strength. |
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| Jul 10 2021 | Pujols went 3-for-6 with two home runs, two runs, three RBI and a strikeout in a 22-1 win over Arizona on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols singled in the fourth, blasted a solo shot in the seventh and a two-run long ball in the eighth to extend the score to its eventual 22-1 final. It was the veteran's first homers since June 20. |
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| Jul 7 2021 | Pujols is starting at first base and batting second Wednesday against the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Max Muncy will shift to the keystone as Pujols gets the nod at first base against southpaw Ross Detwiler. Per Eric Stephen of SBNation.com, Wednesday will mark the first time in 2,862 career starts that Pujols is batting second in the starting nine. |
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| Jul 5 2021 | Pujols produced an RBI single in his only at-bat during Sunday's 5-1 victory versus the Nationals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran didn't start but was called upon in a big spot in the seventh inning. With the game tied 1-1 and a runner on second base, Pujols laced a single to left field to give the Dodgers a one-run lead. The RBI was his 20th in 34 games since joining the Dodgers May 15. Over that stretch, Pujols is slashing .255/.290/.468 with six home runs. |
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| Jun 20 2021 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in a 9-8 win against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols singled in the first and took Arizona starter Alex Young deep in the third to extend Los Angeles' lead to 4-1. He's improved in a semi-regular role since joining the Dodgers on May 17, going 20-for-76 over the stretch. |
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| Jun 19 2021 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will return to the bench against right-hander Matt Peacock after going 0-for-4 in Friday's series opener. The 41-year-old figures to be available off the bench as Matt Beaty gets the start at first base. |
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| Jun 16 2021 | Pujols is not starting Wednesday's game against the Phillies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran has been on a tear of late, going 9-for-22 with two homers and just two strikeouts in his last eight games. Despite that recent success, Pujols has hit a lowly .157 against righty pitchers this season, and the Dodgers are facing a tough one Wednesday in Zack Wheeler. Matt Beaty will start at first base. |
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| Jun 11 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run in a 12-1 win over the Rangers on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After replacing Max Muncy in the second, Pujols connected on the fourth of five Dodgers' home runs in the game in the fourth inning and later singled and scored in the fifth. A return to the National League appears to have reinvigorated the future Hall-Of-Famer as he's raised his slash line from .198/.250/.372 to .225/.276/.451 in 19 games with the Dodgers. |
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| Jun 6 2021 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI single in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Atlanta. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols knocked in Justin Turned with a fourth-inning single, then added a solo shot in the ninth. In 16 games with the Dodgers, Pujols has put up an .809 OPS with four homers, 12 RBI and five runs scored. He's batting .209 with nine long balls, 24 RBI and 14 runs scored and a stolen base in 40 games between the Dodgers and Angels this season. |
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| May 30 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols went deep off Jake McGee in the ninth inning to close the gap to one run. The veteran has provided an extra spark in the Dodgers' offense as he has homered in his last two games. He is getting on base more consistently since joining his new ball club. The future Hall of Famer won't be in the lineup everyday, but he is always a threat to hit the long ball on any given day. |
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| May 26 2021 | Pujols isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will head to the bench for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Tuesday. Justin Turner will serve as the designated hitter while Matt Beaty plays first base and Sheldon Neuse starts at the hot corner. |
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| May 23 2021 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Matt Beaty will crack the lineup at first base while Pujols heads to the bench after three consecutive starts. Since signing with the Dodgers on May 15, Pujols has gone 5-for-19 with a home run and five RBI in six games with his new team. Though he's served as Los Angeles' primary first baseman, Pujols' time as an everyday player could come to an end if Cody Bellinger (lower leg) and/or Zach McKinstry (oblique) are cleared to return from the injured list next weekend. |
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| May 20 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a strikeout in Thursday's 3-2 win over Arizona. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols took Arizona starter Merrill Kelly deep in the second to give Los Angeles an early lead for his first long ball as a member of the Dodgers. He's played in all four games since joining the Dodgers on Monday but will most likely need to hit better than his current 3-for-11 to keep his roster spot, especially once Cody Bellinger and others return from injury. |
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| May 18 2021 | Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Pujols will make another start at first base in Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In his Dodgers debut Monday, Pujols went 1-for-4 with an RBI single while batting out of the cleanup spot. With the Dodgers down three key everyday hitters in Cody Bellinger (lower leg), Corey Seager (hand) and AJ Pollock (hamstring), the three-time MVP looks like he could get the opportunity to play on a near-everyday basis. To accommodate Pujols at first base, the Dodgers shifted Max Muncy over to the keystone Monday, while Gavin Lux filled in for the injured Seager at shortstop. |
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| May 17 2021 | Pujols will start at first base and bat cleanup Monday against the Diamondbacks in his first game as a Dodger, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's possible the Dodgers see something in Pujols that the rest of the world doesn't, as it's unusual to see the defending champions turn to a player who hasn't produced a wRC+ above 91 since 2016 as their cleanup man. The fact that the team has so many hitters on the injured list is likely the primary reason why he's been given such an important role, but it looks as though he could be hitting in the heart of the order for now, at least against lefties like Monday's starter Madison Bumgarner. |
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| May 15 2021 | Pujols signed a major-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 41-year-old clearly doesn't have much left in the tank, as he hasn't produced an above-average batting line since 2016, hitting .240/.289/.405 (good for an 84 wRC+) over the last five years. That might be good enough for a defense-first shortstop or catcher but certainly doesn't cut it at first base. The defending champions clearly think he's still a major-league player, however, and could carve out some at-bats for him at first base against lefties, giving Max Muncy the occasional rest. |
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| May 13 2021 | Pujols cleared waivers and became a free agent Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was designated for assignment by the Angels on Thursday, and he'll now be free to sign with any team. The 41-year-old appeared in 24 games for the Angels to begin the season and hit .198 with five home runs and 12 RBI. |
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| May 6 2021 | Pujols was designated for assignment by the Angels on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols saw playing time at first base and as the designated hitter to begin the season, and he hit .198 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 24 games. The 41-year-old spent the last 10 seasons with the Angels and logged 222 home runs and 783 RBI during that time, but he'll now be let go in the final year of his 10-year, $254 million contract. Jared Walsh should now serve as the primary first baseman for the Angels, while Jose Rojas could see increased playing time as a depth option. |
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| May 5 2021 | Pujols is out of the lineup Wednesday versus Tampa Bay. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is 2-for-19 over his past five games and will head to the bench Wednesday. Jared Walsh will cover first base while Taylor Ward starting in right field for the Angels. |
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| Apr 28 2021 | Pujols is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Joe Maddon told Ardaya that it was a scheduled day off for the veteran first baseman. Jared Walsh is starting at first base and hitting cleanup. |
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| Apr 26 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during Monday's win against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols went back-to-back with Justin Upton with a solo homer against Jordan Lyles in the third inning. The 41-year-old veteran clearly still has some gas left in the tank, tallying five long balls so far this season while batting .222/.279/.460. |
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| Apr 24 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 16-2 loss to the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He took Kent Emanuel deep in the second inning for the Angels' first run, giving the team a glimmer of hope before the wheels came off completely. Pujols has hit three of his four homers on the year in the last five games, but his .232/.271/.446 slash line through 16 contests is still a far cry from the numbers the 41-year-old produced at his peak. |
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| Apr 22 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss in Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols finally got the Angels on the board with a two-run long ball that just barely squeaked by the foul pole against Bryan Abreu in the sixth inning. It was the 665th career home run for the veteran first baseman and his 61st long ball against the Astros. Overall this season, the 41-year-old is batting 229/.275/.417 with three homers. |
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| Apr 21 2021 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will head to the bench after starting in each of the past seven games, during which he went 8-for-27 with a home run and a stolen base. Though Jared Walsh picks up the start at first base in Wednesday's series finale, the Angels' willingness to use him in the corner outfield on a regular basis should continue to open up everyday at-bats for Pujols. |
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| Apr 20 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base in a loss to the Rangers on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In the bottom of the seventh inning, Pujols singled to left field to drive in Jared Walsh. Following a Jose Iglesias single, Pujols and Iglesias successfully pulled off a double steal, and both soon came around to score. Though the theft counts as just an ordinary stolen base in the box score, it carried extra historical significance. The 41-year-old became the oldest Angels player ever to steal third base, per Angels' communications manager Matt Birch. Pujols is also the oldest player to steal a base while playing first base in a game since Julio Franco in 2007, according to Jason Catania of MLB.com. Though he is one of the slowest players in the league in terms of sprint speed, the future Hall of Famer has remarkably been successful on each of his past 13 stolen-base attempts dating back to 2015, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. |
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| Apr 17 2021 | Pujols isn't starting Saturday's game against the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had started each of the last five games and went 6-for-19 with a run and three strikeouts during that time. Jose Rojas will take over at first base Saturday while Luis Rengifo starts at the hot corner. |
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| Apr 14 2021 | Pujols will start at first base and bat fifth Wednesday against the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Due to the Angels' growing injury list, Jared Walsh has been logging more time in right field of late, opening up more reps at first base for Pujols in the process. He'll be in the lineup for a fourth straight game Wednesday after going 5-for-12 with a walk and a run scored in the previous three contests. The Angels should eventually get some reinforcement in the outfield once Justin Upton (back) is available, but Pujols' playing-time outlook could still be relatively strong while Juan Lagares (calf) and Dexter Fowler (knee) are on the shelf. |
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| Apr 3 2021 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Friday's loss to the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols mashed his first homer of the campaign -- and 663rd of his storied career -- with two runners on base in the fourth inning. The hit was Pujols' first of the season, though he did pick up an RBI groundout Opening Day. Many expected the veteran to cede everyday first-base duties to Jared Walsh in 2021, but thus far Pujols has started each of the Angels' first two games. |
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| Mar 24 2021 | Pujols (wrist) is starting Wednesday's spring game against the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was hit on the left wrist by a pitch Monday against the Cubs but only suffered a bruise, so he'll be back in the lineup after missing just one day. Pujols is batting sixth and playing first base against Kansas City. |
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| Mar 22 2021 | Pujols suffered nothing worse than a bruise after getting hit in the left wrist by a pitch Monday against the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols left the game as a precaution, but X-rays came back negative. He's considered day-to-day. |
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| Mar 21 2021 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's Cactus League contest versus San Diego. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols played all nine innings in the exhibition contest and upped his spring average to .394 with the pair of hits. The veteran has enjoyed a resurgent spring with a .394/.429/.606 slash line and six RBI, though he is still expected to back up Jared Walsh at first base this season. |
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| Feb 28 2021 | Pujols said Saturday that he won't make a decision on whether to continue his playing career until after the 2021 season, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols addressed his future with the media a few days after his wife made an Instagram post that initially suggested her husband was planning on retiring after the 2021 season before she later deleted the post. Though Pujols is publicly leaving the door open to play beyond 2022, it's difficult to imagine the 41-year-old attracting much interest from teams, given his lack of defensive flexibility along with the fact that he's been a below-average performer at the plate each of the past four seasons. Now heading into the final season of a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels, Pujols could be limited to a part-time role in 2021 with Jared Walsh and Shohei Ohtani representing superior options at first base and designated hitter, respectively. |
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| Feb 22 2021 | Pujols has not decided whether he will continue playing baseball following the 2021 season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' wife indicated on an Instagram post Monday that the upcoming campaign would be the slugger's final season, but she then edited the post to say that Pujols was on the last year of his current deal with Los Angeles. The 41-year-old has reached 30 or more home runs in 10 of his 17 seasons in the big leagues and could look to cap off a legendary career in 2021 with what will be his 10th year as an Angel. |
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| Sep 20 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols followed up his two-homer performance Friday with an 0-for-4 showing in Saturday's 4-3 win. After starting each of the past seven games, Pujols will take a seat while Jared Walsh starts at first base and Shohei Ohtani serves as the team's designated hitter. Ohtani got on track Saturday by going 2-for-3 with a solo home run, so he could eat into Pujols' opportunities at DH over the final week of the season. |
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| Sep 18 2020 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs during Friday's win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols launched his fifth long ball of the season, this time as a solo shot against Wes Benjamin in the fifth inning. The home run was the 661st of his career as the 40-year-old surpassed Willie Mays to move into fifth on the all-time leaderboard. To top it off, Pujols tacked on another home run in the seventh inning, bringing him to number 662 overall and six on the season. Pujols is now the only player in MLB history to rank in the top five for both home runs and doubles. Overall this year, he's batting .244/.297/.437. |
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| Sep 13 2020 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols's eighth-inning long ball gave the Angels a 4-3 lead in the eighth. It marked the slugger's 660th career homer, bringing him into a tie with Willie Mays for fifth most of all time. Despite the big home run, Pujols will likely continue to see scattered playing time during the final two weeks of the season. |
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| Sep 10 2020 | Pujols is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is hitting .265 with zero home runs over his last 10 games. Considering that he's on the bench for the fifth time in eight games, Pujols appears to have shifted into a part-time role as the 17-27 Angels turn their focus to developing younger players over the final month of the season. Jared Walsh will start at first base and bat fifth Thursday. |
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| Sep 8 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols started the past two games and will head to the bench after going 2-for-8 with one run, three RBI and one walk. Jared Walsh receives another start at first base in his place Tuesday. |
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| Sep 6 2020 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with three RBI, a run scored and a walk in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols received some much-needed rest in Game 1, but he made quite an impact in the second game of the twin bill with his second multi-hit performance of his last five games. The veteran has hit safely in 11 of the Angels' last 13 contests, slashing .304/.347/.413 with 11 RBI in that stretch. |
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| Sep 5 2020 | Pujols isn't starting Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader against the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols won't start the first game of the twin bill with Jared Walsh starting at first base. However, Pujols should presumably be available for the nightcap. |
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| Sep 4 2020 | Pujols will sit Friday against Houston, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hits the bench for the second game in a row, as the struggling Angels don't have much incentive to give playing time to a 40-year-old with a .653 OPS. Jared Walsh will start for the second consecutive game at first base. |
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| Sep 3 2020 | Pujols isn't starting Thursday against the Padres. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols drew five consecutive starts at first base as he appears to have regained his everyday role at first base after Tommy La Stella was traded. However, he'll take a breather Thursday with Jared Walsh starting at first base. |
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| Aug 30 2020 | Pujols will start at first base and will bat sixth Sunday against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols appeared to slip into more of a reserve role just over a week ago, but he's since had playing time at first base reopen for him after the Angels traded Tommy La Stella to the Athletics on Friday. With La Stella out of the picture, Pujols will pick up his third consecutive start Sunday after he went 2-for-7 with a double, a walk, three RBI and a run scored in the first two games of the series with the Mariners. |
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| Aug 23 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup for a second straight game Sunday against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Andrelton Simmons' (ankle) return from the injured list Friday looks as though it could create a domino effect that results in Pujols settling into more of a part-time role moving forward. With Simmons stepping back in as the Angels' primary shortstop, David Fletcher is expected to shift over to the keystone, while Tommy La Stella assumes Pujols' usual post at first base. Pujols' production has been steadily decline since he signed his mega deal with the Angels in December 2011, but he's reached a new low so far in his age-40 season. Through 76 plate appearances, Pujols is sitting on a .625 OPS and 18.4 percent strikeout rate, both of which are career-worst marks. |
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| Aug 22 2020 | Pujols isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will take a seat for the fifth time in the past eight games as he alternates starts at first base. Tommy La Stella will shift to first base Saturday with Luis Rengifo starting at second base. |
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| Aug 20 2020 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against San Francisco. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Luis Rengifo will get the start at second base, with Tommy La Stella shifting to first. Pujols, who is slashing a mere .209/.254/.373, will sit for the fourth time in the last six games. |
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| Aug 18 2020 | Pujols will sit for the third time in the last four games Tuesday against the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 40-year-old has shown no signs of suddenly aging in reverse this year, as he's struggled to a .206/.254/.381 slash line in 16 games. Tommy La Stella starts at first base Tuesday. |
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| Aug 16 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers. "He's fine. I'm just trying to move it around, give more opportunity to different people," manager Joe Maddon said of Pujols, who is on the bench for a second straight game. "For these two days, I just wanted to go a different route." | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Tommy La Stella will get a second straight nod at first base, allowing second baseman Luis Rengifo to essentially replace Pujols in the starting nine. Though his production has been trending downward for several seasons, Pujols' massive 10-year, $254 million contract has been enough to keep him locked into a full-time role, but Maddon's comments open up the possibility that the future Hall of Famer may not be extended that courtesy much longer. Over his 63 plate appearances this season, the 40-year-old Pujols is slashing .186/.238/.356 with a 17.5 percent strikeout rate, a career-worst mark for the contact-oriented veteran. |
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| Aug 15 2020 | Pujols is not in the lineup Saturday against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 40-year-old continues to earn consistent playing time this season, though he doesn't have a true everyday role, sitting six times in the team's first 21 games. With a .186/.238/.356 slash line, he's not exactly making a great case for more regular at-bats. Tommy La Stella will play first base Saturday. |
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| Aug 9 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 40-year-old is just receiving a routine rest for the day game after a night game. Tommy La Stella will step in at first base as a replacement for Pujols, who is slashing .186/.255/.419 through 11 games. |
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| Aug 8 2020 | Pujols went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Angels only managed four hits in total, so the 40-year-old's first multi-hit performance since July 28 went to waste. Pujols is hitting only .186 (8-for-43) through 11 games, but his three homers and seven RBI have given him some fantasy value in deeper formats. |
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| Aug 6 2020 | Pujols is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will head to the bench following a string of four straight starts during which he went 2-for-16 with a pair of home runs and six RBI. Tommy La Stella is covering first base in Thursday's series finale. |
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| Aug 5 2020 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's win over the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Three of Pujols' last four hits have left the yard, but this one had significance -- it was the slugger's 659th career homer, and he is now one shy of tying Willie Mays for fifth on the all-time homer list. Pujols also has 2,082 career RBIs, which is fourth all-time behind Hank Aaron (2,297), Babe Ruth (2,214) and Alex Rodriguez (2,086). |
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| Aug 2 2020 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in Sunday's extra-innings loss to Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols gave the Angels the lead with his third-inning grand slam off starter Josh James. For the season, he's knocked two homers with five RBI and a .583 OPS. |
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| Jul 31 2020 | Pujols will not start Friday's game against the Astros, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols sits for the third time in the season's first eight games, with Tommy La Stella sliding to first base and Luis Rengifo starting at second. Pujols has shown no signs of reversing his long decline in the early going this season, going 3-for-20 at the plate. |
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| Jul 29 2020 | Pujols is not starting Wednesday against the Mariners, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has started all but one game this season, going 3-for-16 with a home run and 2:2 BB:K. Jared Walsh is starting at first base in his stead Wednesday. |
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| Jul 26 2020 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Oakland. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was in the starting nine for the first two games of the season and went 0-for-8 with a run scored and a walk. Jared Walsh will start at first base Sunday, while Matt Thaiss serves as the designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani on the mound. |
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| Jul 22 2020 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's exhibition contest against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had been relatively quiet in spring training and summer exhibition contests until he homered off Jake McGee in the seventh inning Tuesday. That's not much of a concern for the 40-year-old as he heads into his ninth season with the Angels as the team's primary first-baseman. |
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| Mar 21 2020 | Pujols batted .200 (4-for-20) with two RBI and three strikeouts in nine spring contests. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 40-year-old's nondescript spring was a stark contrast to his play in Cactus League contests in 2019 when he hit .326 with a trio of long balls. Of course, Pujols hit only .244 during the regular season last year, emphasizing the relative insignificance of spring stats, particularly among veterans. Pujols is expected to be the Angels' primary first baseman again in 2020, which will be his ninth season with Los Angeles. |
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| Sep 25 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Tuesday's win over the Athletics. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols singled in the fourth inning and plated what turned out to be the deciding run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Though it will require a significant effort over the Angels' final five games, Pujols has an outside shot of driving in 100 runs for the 15th time in his career. The 39-year-old currently sits at 93 RBI along with 23 homers and a .249 average in his 19th season in the league. |
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| Sep 15 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a homer, a double and four RBI in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Rays. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols got the Angels on the board with an RBI double in the first inning and later capped things off with his three-run blast in the fifth. He's up to 23 homers and 89 RBI with a .765 OPS this season. |
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| Sep 10 2019 | Pujols isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Indians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will take a seat for the second game of the series after launching a solo homer Monday evening. Jared Walsh is starting at first base and will hit seventh. |
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| Sep 7 2019 | Pujols (illness) is back in the lineup Saturday against the White Sox, batting fifth and playing first base. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols left Thursday's game with an illness and did not take park in Friday's contest, but he's ready to go again following a brief absence. The veteran is riding a six-game hitting streak, posting a 1.117 OPS over that stretch. |
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| Sep 6 2019 | Pujols (illness) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols exited Thursday's game due to an illness and it will keep him on the bench Friday. Jared Walsh will start at first base and bat seventh in his absence. |
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| Sep 4 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to Oakland on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols socked a 407-foot shot to left field in the fourth inning. The long ball was his second in his last three games, and Pujols has accumulated eight hits in 20 at-bats during a modest four-game hitting streak. The future Hall of Famer is slashing .252/.312/.449 with 21 homers and 84 RBI in 458 plate appearances this season. |
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| Sep 2 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's loss to the Red Sox. | |
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| Sep 1 2019 | Pujols is batting fourth in the order against Boston on Sunday. | |
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| Aug 31 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, two runs scored and a walk in Saturday's | 10-4 win over the Red Sox. |
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| Aug 22 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run Wednesday in the Angels' 8-7 | loss to the Rangers. |
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| Aug 20 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the | Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. |
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| Aug 19 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and two walks in Monday's 8-7 loss to | the Rangers. |
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| Aug 18 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox. | |
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| Aug 15 2019 | Pujols is not in Thursday's lineup against the White Sox. | |
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| Aug 10 2019 | Pujols is not in Saturday's lineup against the Red Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange | County Register reports. |
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| Aug 9 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's loss to the Red Sox. | |
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| Aug 5 2019 | Pujols is not starting Monday against Cincinnati, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County | Register reports. |
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| Aug 4 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's loss to the Indians. | |
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| Jul 30 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Tigers. | |
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| Jul 27 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles. | |
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| Jul 27 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Orioles. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 26 2019 | Pujols isn't in the starting lineup<\/a> for Friday's game against the Orioles. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 21 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk during Sunday's 9-3 win over the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 20 2019 | Pujols (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 20 2019 | Pujols (hamstring) is back in action<\/a> Saturday against Seattle. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 19 2019 | Pujols (hamstring) isn't in the starting lineup<\/a> for Friday's game against the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 18 2019 | Pujols exited Thursday's game against the Astros with left hamstring tightness, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 17 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup<\/a> for Wednesday's game against the Astros. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 16 2019 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in the Angels' 9-6 win against the Astros on Monday night. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 16 2019 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in the 9-6 win against the Astros on Monday night. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 13 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 12 2019 | Pujols is not in Friday's lineup<\/a> against the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 6 2019 | Pujols is not starting Saturday against the Astros, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 5 2019 | Pujols (undisclosed) is starting at first base<\/a> and batting fifth Friday at Houston. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 4 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup again Thursday and is nursing a minor injury, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 3 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 30 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup<\/a> for Sunday's game against the Athletics. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 26 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup<\/a> Wednesday against the Reds. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 24 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Cardinals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 19 2019 | Pujols is not starting Wednesday<\/a> in Toronto. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 17 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup<\/a> Monday against the Blue Jays. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 15 2019 | Pujols is not in Saturday's lineup against the Rays, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 11 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup<\/a> for Tuesday's game versus the Dodgers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 6 2019 | Pujols will head to the bench<\/a> for Thursday's game against the Athletics. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 4 2019 | Pujols isn't starting<\/a> Tuesday's game against the Athletics. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jun 2 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and five RBI during Sunday's 13-3 win over the Mariners. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 31 2019 | Pujols isn't in Friday's starting lineup against the Mariners, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 29 2019 | Pujols is not starting Wednesday against Oakland, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 27 2019 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored Monday against the Athletics. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 26 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup<\/a> for Sunday's game against the Rangers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 20 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup<\/a> Monday against the Twins. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 18 2019 | Pujols is not starting Saturday<\/a> against the Royals. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 15 2019 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times<\/a> reports. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 11 2019 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a two home runs in a 7-2 victory over the Orioles on Saturday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 11 2019 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a two home runs in a 7-2 victory against the Orioles on Saturday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 10 2019 | Pujols is not in the lineup<\/a> Friday against the Orioles. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 9 2019 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 13-0 victory against the Tigers on Thursday. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| May 9 2019 | Pujols will start at first base and bat fifth<\/a> Thursday against the Tigers. | Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news. |
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| Jul 23 2018 | Pujols (knee) was activated from the DL and will bat fifth in Monday's lineup against the White Sox, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. | As expected, Pujols is back in the lineup after missing the minimum due to left knee inflammation that popped up prior to the All-Star break. He will man first base while Shohei Ohtani serves as the club's designated hitter for the series opener. |
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| Jul 13 2018 | Pujols (knee) isn't expected to be on the shelf for an extended period of time, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports. | Pujols received an injection in his left knee Friday, although manager Mike Sciosica stated it should be a short stint on the disabled list for Pujols. He'll be eligible to return shortly after the All-Star break. |
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| Jul 13 2018 | Pujols was put on the 10-day disabled list due to left knee inflammation prior to Friday's game. | It's unclear as to when Pujols suffered this injury, as the 38-year-old went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI during Thursday's victory over Seattle. Pujols will be eligible to return from the DL on July 23. In his place, look for Luis Valbuena to serve as the primary first baseman while David Fletcher mans the hot corner. |
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| Jul 12 2018 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Mariners. | Pujols homered in the first and sixth innings to bring his season total up to 16. He has turned back the clock of late, launching four home runs in as many games since July 8. However, that doesn't mask his limitations, with his only significant contributions coming in the form of home runs and RBI. |
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| Jul 11 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run, double and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Mariners. | Pujols connected for a two-run blast in the fourth inning off starter Mike Leake for his 14th home run of the season and second in as many days. At 38 years old, Pujols' days of hitting for average consistently are long gone, but he still figures to be a solid source of home runs and RBI over the second half of the season. |
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| Jul 9 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with a walk and his 13th home run of the season in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Dodgers. | Pujols' solo blast in the sixth inning tied the game at three, and Shohei Ohtani followed that up with a seventh-inning homer to seal the Freeway Series in favor of the Angels. The home run bumped Pujols' slugging percentage back over .400 on the season. The veteran slugger continues to be a solid source of pop and RBI production, despite carrying a pedestrian .245 batting average through 83 games. |
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| Jul 2 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Sunday's 8-2 loss to Baltimore. | Pujols displayed his situational hitting right off the bat Sunday, poking a two-out single in the first inning to cash in Kole Calhoun. The veteran slugger is batting .249 with 12 homers on the year, but his ability to make contact with runners on base has resulted in 45 RBI (10th among all first baseman). |
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| Jun 23 2018 | Pujols is not in the lineup Saturday against Toronto. | The veteran has continued to hang around with a barely playable bat this season. He's hit a respectable .254 with 12 homers, but his .288 on-base percentage is a problem for the Angels (if not for most fantasy owners). Mike Trout will be the designated hitter Saturday, with Jose Miguel Fernandez getting the nod at first base. |
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| Jun 23 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays. | Pujols has put together a modest six-game hit streak, homering twice and driving in five runs over that span. The majority of the 38-year-old's 71 hits this season have been either singles or homers. In fact, Pujols has more home runs (12) than doubles (11) for the fourth consecutive season, which is due in large part to the veteran's lack of speed in the twilight of his career. Fantasy owners won't find fault in that trend, as the slugger's value is heavily tied to his ability to leave the park and drive in runs (42 RBI through 69 games). |
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| Jun 19 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with his 12th home run of the season in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Diamondbacks. | Pujols homered for the second consecutive game, and now has five homers and 12 RBI in 14 June starts. The veteran is batting just .241 over that span, highlighting the low-average, plus-power production he has produced over the course of the season. |
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| Jun 17 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBI Sunday against the Athletics. | Pujols took Daniel Mengden deep in the sixth inning for his 11th home run of the season. He now has three home runs in his past eight games, also tacking on five runs scored and seven RBI in that span. His fantasy value is settling into a similar range as the past few seasons, a decent producer in home runs and RBI with sparing contributions in other areas. |
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| Jun 12 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's loss to the Mariners. | Pujols has gotten off to a strong start this month, going 9-for-31 with three homers and nine RBI in eight June starts. The veteran slugger has taken over primary designated hitter duties following Shohei Ohtani's (elbow) unfortunate injury last week. The position change theoretically could keep the 38-year-old fresher by not having to play the field everyday, but his fantasy value is still limited to two categories (homers and RBI) due to a middling batting average (.256) and non-existent speed (24 runs scored and zero steals). |
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| Jun 10 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBI Sunday against the Twins. | Pujols managed a pair of timely hits in the first and ninth innings to drive in three runners despite not recording an extra-base hit. He's been swinging the bat well of late as he now has five multi-hit games in his past 10 starts, homering twice and driving in nine in that span. |
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| Jun 9 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Twins. | His sixth-inning blast, Pujols' ninth homer of the season, proved to be the game-winner. The veteran isn't the offensive force he once was, as evidenced by his .252/.287/.410 slash line, but he's still capable of providing solid power production to a fantasy roster. |
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| Jun 8 2018 | Pujols (knee) will DH and bat out of the cleanup spot against Minnesota on Friday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. | As expected, Pulos will be back in action after missing the past two games due to knee soreness. Over 56 games this season, the veteran is slashing .252/.289/.403 with eight home runs and 32 RBI. |
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| Jun 6 2018 | Manager Mike Scioscia said Pujols (knee) is expected to rejoin the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports. | Pujols is set to miss a second straight game Wednesday as he manages some knee soreness, but the Angels are confident he'll be ready to rejoin the starting nine after Thursday's off day. The veteran slugger is hitting .252/.289/.403 with eight homers across 56 games this season. |
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| Jun 5 2018 | Pujols is dealing with a sore left knee and will remain out of the lineup until at least Friday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols started four of the last five games at first base for the Angels and it's not exactly surprising to see the veteran battling some lingering issues a couple months into the season. The 38-year-old will sit Tuesday and Wednesday's games against the Royals, hopefully returning for Friday's game against the Twins with an additional day of rest on Thursday. |
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| Jun 5 2018 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals. | Pujols will head to the bench for a breather after starting the past eight games, going 9-for-32 (.281) with a homer and six RBI over that stretch. Luis Valbuena will start at first base and hit fifth in his stead. |
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| Jun 1 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs to help the Angels to a 6-0 victory over the Rangers on Friday. | Pujols has been on a nice little run of late, as he's now hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, launching two home runs and driving in eight over that time. He's still a decent RBI source and is good for the occasional long ball, but his .256/.291/.414 slash line through 215 at-bats stands as a reminder that he remains far removed from his days as one of the best hitters in the game. |
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| May 28 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double, one RBI and a run scored Monday against Detroit. | Pujols hit an RBI double to right field in the eighth to get the Angels on the board, but the Tigers had already built up a seven-run lead, so it didn't matter much. The 38-year-old veteran is hitting .247 with seven homers and 27 RBI through 49 games this season. |
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| May 27 2018 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports. | The Angels are in the midst of a stretch of 16 games in 16 days, so Pujols will get a breather Sunday after starting in each of the club's last five contests. He'll give way at first base to Luis Valbuena, who bats fifth in the series finale. |
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| May 24 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Blue Jays. | The homer was his seventh of the season but his first since May 2. Pujols' triple-slash numbers are all up slightly from a season ago, but his skills have deteriorated greatly in recent years and at this point he hardly moves the needle in most fantasy leagues. |
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| May 20 2018 | Pujols is not in the lineup Sunday against the Rays, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols is receiving a scheduled day off after making eight consecutive starts for the Angels. Jefry Marte will man first base and bat sixth in his absence. |
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| May 11 2018 | Pujols is not in the lineup against Minnesota on Friday. | Pujols will receive a breather after starting the past three games, including a 1-for-4 showing with a double and one run scored during Thursday's series opener. In his place, Luis Valbuena will man first base and Shohei Ohtani will serve as the DH. |
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| May 6 2018 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | Pujols was in the lineup Saturday one day after notching his 3,000th career hit, but he'll now benefit from back-to-back days of rest due to the Angels having an open date in the schedule Monday. With Pujols on the bench in the series finale, Justin Upton will serve as the Angels' designated hitter. |
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| May 5 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run in the Angels' 5-0 win over the Mariners on Friday. | It was a historic night for the legendary slugger, who officially joined the 3,000 hit club with a fifth-inning single off Mike Leake. While he's been in decline from his Hall of Fame form for a while now, Pujols has been turning back the clock of late with five hits, a home run, five RBI and three runs over his last 12 at-bats. He's now hitting .256 with six home runs and a .733 OPS through 129 at-bats in his age-38 season. |
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| May 3 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Orioles. | The future Hall of Famer entered the contest four hits away from 3,000 for his career, and buzz began swirling after he recorded two hits in his first three at-bats through five innings. Unfortunately, the slugger was unable to record a hit in his next plate appearance, and the Angels' offensive onslaught calmed down and limited him to just four at-bats, putting the historic milestone off for another day. As for this year, Pujols is providing solid power (six homers and 15 RBI) while carrying a .248 batting average. |
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| Apr 26 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Astros. | Pujols was one of few Angels to make solid contact off a dominant Justin Verlander, depositing a seventh-inning cutter into the stands for his fifth homer on the year. The 38-year-old has failed to contribute a multi-hit performance over his last nine contests after producing eight of them through his first 15 games. This has resulted in an expected batting average dip back down to .257 through 101 at-bats. Pujols' aggresive approach in the twilight of his career (0.20 BB/K) will produce a sub-par average, but he can still help fantasy owners with his power and RBI production, especially if he has already regained first base eligibility. |
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| Apr 22 2018 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Giants. | It appears to be little more than a maintenance day for Pujols with the Angels playing a day game after a night game. Pujols, who connected on a two-run home run Saturday -- his fourth of the season -- will be replaced in the cleanup spot by Shohei Ohtani. |
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| Apr 21 2018 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Giants. | Pujols gave the Angels the runs they needed to secure a win with a home run off Derek Holland in the sixth inning. He continues to hit in the cleanup spot and flash power, so he should be a strong counting stat contributor again this season even if his ratio stats lag. |
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| Apr 13 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Royals. | The 38-year-old has turned back the clock a little to begin 2018, hitting .284 (19-for-67) with three homers and nine RBI through 15 games. Pujols hasn't hit above .270 in any of the last three seasons, so some regression in batting average is likely ahead, but if he can stay healthy the future Hall of Famer -- who's only 13 hits away from 3,000 for his career and should reach 2,000 RBI by year's end as well -- can still supply solid power numbers in the heart of the Angels' batting order. |
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| Apr 10 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with his second home run of the season in Monday's 8-3 win over the Rangers. | The veteran slugger has gotten off to a solid start this year, slashing .277/.306/.447 in 49 plate appearances. Pujols has struck out nine times over that span, so he is unlikely to maintain his elevated batting average as the year progresses. Still, the 38-year-old is proving that he can still provide help in the power and RBI departments batting in the heart of a tooled up Angels lineup. |
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| Apr 1 2018 | Pujols will serve as the Angels' designated hitter and bat cleanup Sunday against the Athletics, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | After drawing just six starts at first base in 2017 and instead seeing most of his action at designated hitter, Pujols entered the season only as utility-eligible in most formats. With the Angels preparing him for an everyday role at first base this season, Pujols was expected to quickly gain eligibility at the position, but that could be put on hold for a little while now that Ian Kinsler (groin) is on the disabled list. Kinsler's injury has created a reshuffling of the infield that will result in Jefry Marte and Luis Valbuena making their second straight starts at the corner-infield spots, allowing Pujols to be deployed at designated hitter. If Marte and Valbuena perform reasonably well while Kinsler is out, there would be little reason for the Angels to rush the 38-year-old Pujols back to first-base duty. |
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| Mar 31 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with one double and two RBI Saturday against the Athletics. | After playing the first two games of the season at first base, Pujols remained in the Angels lineup for the third consecutive day, but this time as the DH. That didn't slow down his production with the bat, however, as he recorded his second multi-hit game of the season and his second extra-base hit. Pujols remains locked into the middle of the Angels lineup, meaning he should remain a strong contributor in all the counting stat categories outside of stolen bases. |
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| Mar 30 2018 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics. | Pujols was the lone bright spot in the heart of the Angels' lineup that saw Mike Trout and Justin Upton go for a combined 0-for-11 in front of him. The 38-year-old opened the season playing the field as expected, a development that should allow him to regain first base eligibility after logging just six games there last season. The veteran has seen his production decline in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, culminating with a career-worst .241/.286/.386 triple-slash in 2017. Even with the decline in production, Pujols reminded fantasy owners that he can still be a source of power and RBI production batting cleanup for a revamped Halos' lineup. |
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| Feb 20 2018 | Pujols lost around 15 pounds this offseason in an attempt to be more fit for regular first base duty this season, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | Injuries and younger options at first largely limited the veteran slugger to designated hitting over the past few years, but with C.J. Cron being dealt to Tampa Bay, Pujols is in line to act as the Angels' primary first baseman more often than not. Given that he's 38 years old, he may still need a good number of days at DH, but he seems to be atop the depth chart at first base right now. This likely bumps Luis Valbuena into the designated hitter role whenever Shohei Ohtani (elbow, ankle) isn't in the batting lineup. |
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| Dec 12 2017 | The Angels hope Pujols can play first base two days a week in 2018 in order to get Shohei Ohtani starts at designated hitter, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports. | He reportedly feels great and has shed a walking boot that he was wearing earlier this winter. Even so, Pujols is unlikely to be even average defensively at first base at this stage in his career, but the Angels need to get creative in order to get Ohtani's bat in the lineup when he is not pitching. Pujols is coming off by far the worst offensive season of his career, hitting .241/.286/.386 with 23 home runs in 636 plate appearances. He played just six games at first base last season, but it sounds like he is on track to regain eligibility there in most formats. |
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| Sep 30 2017 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 6-5 win over the Mariners. | Fantasy owners may have done a double take when they saw a stolen base attached to Pujols' stat line. The 37-year-old has actually chipped in three steals this season, which is impressive considering he owns the 14th-worst speed score (2.1 SpD) among all qualified batters (stat provided by fangraphs.com). The unexpected thievery was a cherry on top of a renaissance month at the plate for Pujols, who is hitting .305 with two home runs and 17 RBI through 25 September starts. |
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| Sep 21 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the Indians. | Pujols continues his September swoon, batting .323 with two homers and 14 RBI through 16 games. It has been an up-and-down season for the aging slugger, but his recent hot streak has given him fantasy value down the stretch. |
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| Sep 15 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a walk and his 22nd home run of the season in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Astros. | While this was the veteran slugger's first homer of the month, he has maintained his hot-hitting ways since returning from a minor knee injury Sept. 8. Pujols is batting .419 (18-for-43) with 13 RBI through 11 September starts, numbers that should help fantasy owners in almost any format down the stretch. |
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| Sep 8 2017 | Pujols (knee) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners. | Pujols received a lubricating injection during Thursday's off day, and looks to be ready to go for Friday's series opener following a couple days of rest. The 37-year-old will bat fourth and hit out of the DH spot against Mike Leake. Over his past six games, Pujols has gone 13-for-26 with a pair of home runs and 14 RBI. |
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| Sep 7 2017 | Pujols received a lubricating injection in his left knee Thursday, and could return to the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Mariners, Pedro Moura of The Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols was cleared to play by Dr. Steve Yoon after being diagnosed with a bone bruise that forced him to take a seat during Wednesday's game. With a scheduled day off Thursday, the 37-year-old is afforded a little extra rest, but remains day-to-day for the time being. |
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| Sep 6 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Wednesday against the A's, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | Wednesday will mark Pujols' first absence from the lineup since Aug. 16. In the time since, he's played in 18 games and hit .325 with an .876 OPS and 21 RBI. Mike Trout will serve as the Angels' DH on Wednesday while Eric Young heads to center field. |
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| Sep 6 2017 | Pujols is dealing with knee soreness but is expected to be ready for Friday's game against the Mariners, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols was withheld from Wednesday's lineup and is scheduled to receive treatment on his sore knee. Fortunately for the 37-year-old slugger, the Angels have Thursday off, so he'll have an extra to rest. At this point in time, it's expected that he'll be ready to return Friday, but he should be considered day-to-day until then. |
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| Sep 6 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI in Tuesday's 8-7 win over the Athletics. | Pujols has been on a tear over his last six contests, batting .500 (13-for-26) with two home runs and a whopping 14 RBI over that span. The 37-year-old's inconsistent hitting has limited his fantasy value, but it is hard to ignore the slugger's current hot streak at such a pivotal point of the season, regardless of league size. |
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| Aug 31 2017 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a pair of two-run home runs in Wednesday's win over the Athletics. | Pujols reminded Kendall Graveman that he still has some gas left the tank in the twilight stage of his 13-year career. Wednesday's outburst followed a rough 6-for-29 (.207) stretch with no RBI over his last seven contests, presenting fantasy owners with a clear picture of his feast-or-famine production this season. |
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| Aug 23 2017 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in a 10-1 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. | Pujols continues to drive in runs despite carrying a career-low .231 batting average, putting him on pace to reach the century mark in RBI for the 10th time in his illustrious career. While he is no longer a must-own fantasy asset, the aging slugger's solid production in two categories (19 homers and 79 RBI) gives him a niche in deep formats. |
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| Aug 18 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer Friday against the Orioles. | Pujols drilled his 18th homer in the first inning to give the Angels an early lead in a game they'd go on to lose. Despite the bomb, he's a very weak fantasy option, based on his .230 batting average and .380 slugging percentage. |
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| Aug 16 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | Since he played the field a night earlier and the Angels are still without a DH spot for their second game in Washington, Pujols will take a seat for the day game, allowing C.J. Cron to pick up a start at first base. Pujols, who went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks Tuesday, should rejoin the lineup Friday, when the Angels kick off a three-game set in Baltimore. |
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| Aug 12 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in Friday's 6-5 win over Seattle. | The veteran slugger has tallied four hits -- albeit all singles -- since receiving a day of rest Wednesday, but that followed a brutal 2-for-29 stretch at the plate. Pujols' decline in 2017 has been well documented by his .226/.269/.374 slash line, limiting the future Hall of Famer's fantasy value to an all-or-nothing power threat. |
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| Aug 9 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles. | Pujols went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before being ejected during Tuesday's contest, so he'll take Wednesday to clear his head while mired in a 1-for-25 slump. Mike Trout will take over as the designated hitter in his stead, allowing Ben Revere to fill in as the center fielder. |
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| Aug 2 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a double, his 17th homer and five RBI against the Phillies on Tuesday. | That makes three homers and six hits in the last two games for the veteran slugger, who'd hit .133 with zero homers in the prior 11 contests. You'll see these blasts from the past from Pujols here and there, and he's still been an asset in RBI with 68, but his .238 average and .683 OPS tell the story of his 2017. The future Hall of Famer's career is clearly winding to a close -- or it would be, if not for him being under contract through 2021. The deal is backloaded, too, meaning that Pujols has more than $100 million coming to him over the next four seasons. Yikes. |
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| Jul 30 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs the Angels' loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday. | The veteran slugger had been in quite a slump at the plate prior to Sunday's contest, as he hadn't collected a hit since July 22. The two home runs were also his first two since July 14 -- the first day back from the All-Star break. Pujols' .233 average certainly leaves something to be desired, and the 16 home runs and 63 RBI he has on the season are a bit behind his pace from last season. His value also could plummet more if he continues to act as the Angels' primary designated hitter, as he only has five starts at first base so far this season. |
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| Jul 29 2017 | Pujols went 0-for-5 with a run scored in Friday's win over Toronto. | The aging slugger has been mired in an 0-for-20 slump, dropping his batting average to .230 on the season. Pujols has been able to provide some pop (14 home runs) and RBI production (59), but he has been a batting average liability for fantasy squads. Owners in shallower formats may want to explore other options over the 37-year-old, as his production is no longer matching his name value. |
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| Jul 23 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox. | It looks like Pujols is simply receiving a maintenance day following his three-hit performance in Saturday's win. Pujols, who is hitting .269 since the All-Star break, will give way to Yunel Escobar at designated hitter, while Luis Valbuena covers Escobar's normal spot at third base. |
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| Jul 23 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Angels. | This was the veteran's sixth three-hit game of the season despite carrying a lackluster .243 batting average. Pujols' days of being a hitting machine are long gone, but he can still provide |
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| Jul 15 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Rays. | The veteran slugger sandwiched the All-Star break with a pair of solo homers, bringing his season total up to 14. Pujols value has been hampered by a .241 batting average, but he has still generating power and an ability to drive in runs (55 RBI) in the heart of the Angels order. The 37-year-old should continue to be a good source of RBI in the second half with the return of Mike Trout to the lineup. |
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| Jul 9 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with a homer and two walks Sunday in Texas. | Pujols' 407-foot first-inning solo shot off Yu Darvish is all the offense the Angels needed in this 3-0 win. The 37-year-old Pujols is putting up career-lows across the board with his .241/.288/.387 line, but his 13 homers in 83 games show that the future Hall-of-Famer still can't be taken lightly. Two of those long balls have come in the past five contests after he went 14 without one. |
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| Jul 5 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run -- the 603rd of his career -- in Tuesday's loss to the Twins. | The veteran slugger has been quiet since hitting his historic 600th homer June 3, slashing a meager .209/.246/.318 in 28 games. At 37 years old, a decline in production was to be expected, and we are seeing it happen to one of the game's greats before our very eyes. Outside of Pujols' ability to drive in runs effectively (51 RBI) and the occasional long ball (12 homers), he isn't providing enough to warrant consideration in standard fantasy formats, especially if he lacks first base eligibility. |
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| Jun 27 2017 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers. | The Angels are without a DH for the second straight game, giving Pujols a chance to get a rest day following his start at first base Monday. The 37-year-old has played in every game this month, despite posting an batting average of .208 during that stretch, so expect him back in the No. 3 hole when the team returns home Wednesday. |
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| Jun 18 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs in Saturday's win over the Royals. | The aging slugger has seen his production dip at the plate this season, slashing a career-worst .240/.287/.394 through 275 plate appearances. His placement in the heart of the Angels lineup has kept his fantasy value afloat with high RBI totals (48 RBI ranks 11th in the league), but his lack of a defensive position in most formats handcuffs his owners and limits their roster flexibility. Pujols still carries name value, but his declining skills at the plate make him a feast-or-famine fantasy option. |
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| Jun 12 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during Sunday's win over Houston. | The veteran is morphing into even more of a feast-or-famine hitter of late and has just two multi-hit games through his past 18 outings for a .224/.280/.463 slash line. He's collected five homers and 13 RBI during that span, but his .686 OPS for the campaign is still well below the .783 mark he posted over the past four seasons. Father Time appears to be finally catching up to Pujols. |
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| Jun 4 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | After smacking his 600th career home run on a grand slam Saturday, Pujols will be awarded a routine day off in the series finale. Luis Valbuena will serve as the Angels' designated hitter for the day, opening a spot in the lineup for C.J. Cron at first base. |
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| May 30 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-3 loss to Atlanta. | The solo shot inched the 37-year-old closer to the historic 600-homer mark. His power (.395 slugging percentage) hasn't emerged yet this season, but he has been providing value to fantasy owners with 35 RBI. That said, Pujols could see a slight drop in run production with Mike Trout (thumb) being sidelined for 6-8 weeks. |
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| May 28 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins. | Pujols likely would be in the lineup for the series finale if the DH spot was available, but manager Mike Scioscia will give the former MVP a day off following back-to-back days in the field. Jefry Marte will check in at first base in place of Pujols. |
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| May 26 2017 | Pujols is batting cleanup and starting at first base Friday against the Marlins. | It will mark just the third time this season Pujols has started at first base, but the Angels prefer to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible. The 37-year-old is hitting .265 with three home runs and 12 RBI this month. |
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| May 25 2017 | Pujols' Thursday absence from the Angels' lineup is a rest day, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | The first baseman's breather will also give Mike Trout a game at designated hitter, so it's a double play in terms of alleviating the workload of their two big mashers. The Angels will reveal how often they'll play Pujols over the weekend when they travel to face the Marlins and lose the designated hitter. |
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| May 25 2017 | Pujols is out of the lineup Thursday against the Rays. | Pujols dealt with some hamstring tightness late last week which cost him starts during an interleague series with the Mets, but there's no indication that his absence Thursday is related. He's been effective since returning to the lineup, collecting a base knock in back-to-back games and a home run in Wednesday's loss to the Rays. He'll sit out the series finale, while Jefry Marte gets the start at first base, and Mike Trout serves as the designated hitter. |
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| May 22 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) is batting third and serving as the designated hitter Monday against the Rays. | Pujols is good to go after missing the last three games due to a bout of hamstring tightness. The 37-year-old, who is slashing .247/.293/.370 with 32 RBI through 162 at-bats this season, will face off against Jake Odorizzi in his return to the lineup. |
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| May 21 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets. | Pujols has been dealing with some hamstring tightness that has caused him to miss the team's last two contests. There was hope that he'd be able to return Sunday, but it appears that the Angels will remain cautious and give the 37-year-old an additional day of rest, as there is no designated hitter slot for him to fill while the Angels are playing a National League club in the Mets. |
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| May 20 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) could be available as a pinch hitter Saturday against the Mets, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | He is out of the lineup for the second straight day, but will take batting practice on the field before the team decides if he is available off the bench. It sounds like he is nearing a return, as pinch hitting is not a far cry from slotting into the lineup as the DH. |
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| May 20 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) may remain unavailable for Sunday's game against the Mets, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Based on Pujols' pregame activity, there had been some optimism that he would be available from the bench Saturday. However, that wasn't the case as the veteran is still not healthy enough to play. More details regarding Pujols' condition should be available prior to Sunday's contest. |
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| May 20 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets. | The Angels will give Pujols another day off in a national league park as the veteran works his way back from hamstring tightness. Pujols could potentially sit out the rest of the series to rest his hamstring before returning to the lineup Monday in Tampa Bay. Jefry Marte will man first base for the Angels on Saturday as they face Zack Wheeler. |
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| May 19 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in Friday's starting lineup against the Mets. | Pujols continues to rest after departing Wednesday's game with hamstring tightness, something which could continue throughout the weekend series with no need for a designated hitter. The Angels may be perfectly content with letting the veteran slugger sit out until Monday, meaning C.J. Cron would assume his regular duties at first base. Nonetheless, Pujols could be a candidate to make pinch-hitting appearances as he recovers. |
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| May 19 2017 | Pujols (hamstring) had an MRI on Friday which came back clean, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The Angels held Pujols out of Friday's lineup, but it seems like he could return within the next day or so if they so choose. However, with their series taking place in a National League park, they don't have the luxury of a designated hitter to have Pujols rejoin the lineup without taking the field, so there's a chance he may not return until Monday when the Halos head to Tampa Bay. |
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| May 18 2017 | The reason for Pujols' early departure from Wednesday's game was hamstring tightness. He is considered day-to-day, as reported by Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. | While this isn't great news for his fantasy owners, it appears that the veteran slugger avoided a serious leg injury. Manager Mike Scioscia said that Pujols is day-to-day, but the team will likely provide a more concrete timetable after its off day Thursday. The Angels may elect to give the 37-year-old extra rest this weekend with the absence of the designated hitter in a road series against the Mets. |
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| May 17 2017 | Pujols exited in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against the White Sox for an unknown reason, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols was 2-for-2 with two RBI and two walks before giving way to Jefry Marte as designated hitter. The removal could have simply been an attempt to steal the 37-year-old some extra rest heading into Thursday's off day, though more should be known following Wednesday's contest. |
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| May 15 2017 | Pujols is batting third and serving as designated hitter Monday against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols was away from the team Sunday tending to a personal matter, though he's back and ready to go for Monday's series opener. The 37-year-old is slashing .238/.275/.371 with five homers through 37 games this season. |
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| May 14 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers. | The veteran slugger brought home Martin Maldonado and Yunel Escobar with a timely single in the fifth to knot the game at 2-2. Pujols has hit safely in nine of 11 games in May, although only two of those have been multi-hit efforts. His strikeout rate has risen to a career-high 18.8 percent this season as well, but his 27 RBI still represent a team high and have him tied with the Rangers' Joey Gallo for sixth in the AL. |
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| May 14 2017 | Pujols is tending to a personal matter and won't be available for Sunday's game against the Tigers, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia didn't provide any indication that Pujols would be away from the team beyond Sunday, so he still looks like a fairly safe activation heading into the upcoming week. With Pujols out, Mike Trout will shift over to designated hitter, opening up starts in the outfield for both Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere. |
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| May 10 2017 | Pujols is out of Wednesday's lineup against the A's. | Mike Trout is sidelined with a hamstring ailment, and Pujols will join him on the bench for the day game against righty Andrew Triggs. Pujols is hitting .244/.289/.439 with two home runs over his last 10 games. Luis Valbuena will get the start at DH and hit cleanup. |
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| May 6 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's extra-inning loss to the Astros. | The future Hall of Famer is inching closer to the historic 600-homer mark. After a sluggish start to the season, Pujols has been picking it up at the plate, batting .317 with two home runs and 13 RBI over his last 14 games. He continues to prove that he can be an excellent run producer while still possessing some pop in his aging bat. |
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| May 3 2017 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Mariners. | The steal was his first of the season. Pujols has started to put his slow start to the campaign behind him, slashing .288/.317/.458 over the last two weeks with two homers and 15 RBI. |
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| Apr 29 2017 | Pujols' only hit in five plate appearances Friday was a three-run home run that completed the Angels' 6-3 victory over the Rangers. | Fantasy owners may have envisioned more than three homers from the aging slugger through 24 games this season. That said, he has raised his batting average to .247 during his current eight-game hitting streak, and his 21 RBI lead the team. Pujols is striking out more (19.6 K%) and walking less (4.9%), so he could finish the season with a batting average below .250, but as long as he continues to drive in runs and provide some pop, he will hold value in the majority of fantasy formats. |
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| Apr 28 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a run in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Athletics. | The veteran slugger opened the scoring on the night with a single to deep right that brought home Mike Trout, and he subsequently scored Los Angeles' second and final run on C.J. Cron's double later in the inning. Pujols' 18 RBI lead the Angels and also place him in a second-place tie with the Indians' Jose Ramirez behind Nelson Cruz in the AL. The 37-year-old extended his hitting streak to seven games with Thursday's production, and he's now knocked in seven runs overall during that stretch. |
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| Apr 27 2017 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Athletics. | The power still hasn't arrived for the veteran slugger (two home runs in 94 plate appearances), but he has raised his batting average to a respectable .247 after struggling out of the gates. Despite his lack of homers, Pujols has provided value to his fantasy owners with 17 RBI, which ranks second amongst all designated hitters and fifth among first basemen (which he may qualify in depending on league settings). |
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| Apr 19 2017 | Pujols was the hero in Tuesday's win over the Astros, going 1-for-4 and blasting a three-run home run in a 5-2 win. | The aging slugger has struggled early on, slashing .204/.259/.333 even after his three-run blast Tuesday. A lower batting average was to be expected, but owners were hoping for a little more power from Pujols. It is still early, so the homers could be coming, but we shouldn't expect more than some pop and RBI production from the 37-year-old. |
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| Apr 17 2017 | Pujols is not in the lineup Monday against the Astros. | After playing in all of the Angels' first thirteen games, Pujols will get a breather as Jefrey Marte slides in as the DH. He should be back in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup. |
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| Apr 16 2017 | Pujols made his debut in the field Saturday, starting at first base and going 1-for-4 with an RBI in a 3-2 loss to Kansas City. | Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to give Mike Trout a "rest day" without removing him from the lineup, so he penciled his MVP at designated hitter and gave Pujols the start in the field defensively for the first time this season. Scioscia said that he planned on using his slugger almost exclusively in the DH spot this year, which could put his first base eligibility in jeopardy for next season. If Pujols could see a start at first once a week, then he may be able to hit the eligibility requirements to retain his first base status next year. That is a bridge we will cross when we get there. As for this season, the 37-year-old remains a solid power source while batting in the heart of the Angels' lineup. |
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| Apr 9 2017 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in a winning effort over the Mariners on Sunday. | Pujols may be starting to wake up at the plate after recording a three-hit performance Saturday night. He's noticeably in decline at age 37, but he still managed to hit 31 homers and drive in 119 last year, so he remains fantasy-relevant as a cheap source of power. Spending most of his time at designated hitter this year should keep him healthier, too. |
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| Mar 23 2017 | Manager Mike Scioscia said that he has no plans to play Pujols -- who is coming off of foot surgery this past offseason -- at first base this spring, and that it will stay that way indefinitely, according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. | Scioscia added that he felt comfortable with Pujols' defense if he needed to use him there in a pinch during the regular season. Luckily for most fantasy owners, the 37-year-old logged 28 games at first base last season, making him eligible for the position in most standard fantasy formats. For those that need him to make a start in the field to gain eligibility, it may be a while before that day comes. From a fantasy perspective, serving as the team's full-time designated hitter bodes well for the aging superstar's health, and should keep him a viable fantasy option based on his ability to smack home runs and drive in runs while hitting behind Mike Trout this season. |
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| Mar 13 2017 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a pair of runs scored in Sunday's win over the Mariners. | The double was nice to see, but the main takeaway from Pujols' day was how he looked on the basepaths. The veteran slugger roped a double in his first at-bat, then had to scramble to third on an overthrow, eventually scoring on a wild pitch. Manager Mike Scioscia said that "[Pujols] is running better now than he did after foot started bothering him last year, and that's really a positive." These are encouraging things to hear after Pujols missed the first half of spring training rehabbing from offseason foot surgery. If he can make it through the rest of spring training without a setback, then we could be in line for another 30-homer, 100-RBI season from the future Hall of Famer. |
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| Mar 10 2017 | Pujols (foot) made his Cactus League debut Friday, going 0-for-2 with a walk as the Angels' designated hitter. | Pujols has come along slowly after offseason foot surgery. Now that he has made his return, the 37-year-old slugger will attempt to get up to game speed before the regular season kicks off. Barring any setbacks, Pujols will resume his role as the Halos' primary designated hitter. Age and health will keep his perceived value in a state of flux, but the future Hall of Famer has averaged over 30 homers and 100 RBI over his last three seasons, numbers that will help fantasy teams in almost any format if he can keep the trend going. |
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| Mar 10 2017 | Pujols (foot) is in the lineup Friday for the first time this spring, hitting third as the designated hitter in Cactus League action, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | The Halos will continue monitoring Pujols' progress after his December foot surgery, but his debut with a few weeks left in camp marks a positive step. The veteran still can turn a fantasy profit if he falls into the middle rounds of mixed drafts, though his price should rise if he mashes in spring games. Perhaps doubt over the 37-year-old's ability to play a full season will knock him down to the cost of a mixed league corner infielder, which would lower the burden of proof that he'll deliver on his annual potential for 30-plus home runs. |
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| Mar 8 2017 | Per manager Mike Scioscia, Pujols (foot) is scheduled to run the bases Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for his Cactus League debut Friday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports. | Scioscia also stated that he hopes the veteran slugger can log two at-bats in Friday's contest. Pujols' status for Opening Day still isn't completely clear, but if he can get through his first appearance without any issues, there's a decent chance that he could get ramped up enough in time for the season opener. |
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| Mar 6 2017 | Pujols (foot) is scheduled to run the bases on Monday, and is expected to make his Cactus League debut by the end of the week, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Barring any setbacks while running the bases, Pujols should be in line to make his first appearance of spring by the end of the week. The 37-year-old still hasn't said if he'll be ready for Opening Day, but he should have a better idea after playing in his first games of spring. |
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| Mar 2 2017 | Pujols (foot) has been participating in all of the teams defensive drills and running sprints on the field, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. | Pujols continues to move along slowly, but still won't say whether he'll be ready for Opening Day. "It's feeling good," Pujols said Thursday morning. "I'm progressing." He apparently feels like he's on a similar schedule as he was when he was rehabbing surgery last spring, when he was able to make the Opening Day roster after appearing as a DH early in March and playing first base later in the month. He still has yet to run the bases, so he won't make his Cactus debut until that is able to happen. After that, his situation should be monitored as the start of the regular season approaches. |
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| Feb 25 2017 | Pujols (foot) is still recovering from December surgery, but he has begun light defensive work at first base, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols is slowly making his way back and it's unlikely he will see much action in Cactus League spring action. He is starting to work in the field and run on a treadmill, so it's a start. The veteran is optimistic he'll be ready for Opening Day, but fantasy owners will want plenty of depth on hand if he is in your draft day plans. |
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| Feb 19 2017 | Pujols (foot) said that he is progressing well, but he will certainly not be ready for the Angels' Cactus League debut and is still questionable for Opening Day, the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols -- who wasn't able to run last week -- said that he has been running on an Ultra G treadmill in an effort to reduce the impact on his lower body. He has also been swinging in the cages and reported no soreness afterwords. These are all promising signs after the slugger underwent foot surgery in December. The Angels will likely play it cautious with Pujols and we may not not see much -- if any -- of him in spring training games. |
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| Feb 14 2017 | Pujols (foot) says he can do everything but run, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | It seems his rehab is still progressing as planned, after undergoing foot surgery back in December, although he still didn't promise that he'd be ready for Opening Day. Although he seems optimistic, we will have to wait and see as spring training progresses more. |
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| Jan 24 2017 | Pujols (foot) is progressing as planned after undergoing surgery in December, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. | While it's promising that Pujols hasn't incurred any setbacks while rehabbing his foot, the Angels have yet to say whether or not he's on track to be ready for Opening Day. However, there should be a better indication as to when the 37-year-old slugger will be able to return once spring training rolls around. |
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| Dec 2 2016 | Pujols underwent surgery Friday to release his right plantar fascia. | In a press release, the Angels said the estimated time to return to play following this procedure is typically four months. That puts Pujols' status for the start of the year in some question, but Pujols is a 10-time All-Star and doesn't need a full spring training to prepare for the regular season. In his age-36 season, Pujols hit .268/.323/.457 with 31 homers, marking his 14th season with 30-plus home runs. |
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| Sep 30 2016 | Pujols (foot) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Eric Kay of the Angels reports. | Pujols will miss his third game in a row despite a team off day Thursday. He may be able to return to action before the regular season ends, but with the Angels out of playoff contention, they do not have much incentive to play him. |
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| Sep 30 2016 | Pujols (foot) has been shut down for the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols and the Angels came to a "mutual decision" that he will not play again in 2016 due to the sore foot he has battled recently. Pujols should be back at 100 percent far in advance of next season, when he will seeking home run No. 600 in his career. |
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| Sep 28 2016 | Pujols (foot) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the A's, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols has been hampered by a sore foot and will miss a second straight start, affording Mike Trout another day as the DH. Manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday that he wasn't sure if Pujols will play again in 2016, as the injury has "gotten to a point now where we don't want to put him at risk." The Angels are off Thursday. |
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| Sep 27 2016 | Pujols is out of the lineup Tuesday against the A's, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The Angels will opt to put Rafael Ortega in center field and move Mike Trout to DH while Pujols gets the day off. Pujols has increased his production at the plate as of late, as he's hit .327/.373/.491 with two home runs and nine RBI over the last 14 games. |
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| Sep 27 2016 | Pujols is out of Tuesday's lineup due to foot soreness, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols played through a foot injury at the latter end of August and beginning of September, but it's unknown if his latest ailment is the same issue. His availability for the remainder of the week should be known in the near future. |
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| Sep 22 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a strikeout Thursday in a 2-0 win over Houston. | The Angels are closing out an awful season, but that doesn't mean Albert Pujols is sitting around sulking. His two-run shot in the first inning was home run number 31 on the season and 591 for his career. It's proof that even at 36-years-old, the future Hall-of-Famer still has a lot of juice left in the tank and he remains a formidable fantasy asset. Since the All-Star break, he has topped his first half home run total with 16 and he is quickly closing in on matching the 60 runs he knocked in from April to June. |
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| Sep 7 2016 | Pujols is out of the lineup Wednesday against the A's, the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports. | Mike Trout is also out of Wednesday's lineup, as the Angels will make things relatively easy on A's rookie starter Jharel Cotton. Kole Calhoun will get the start at DH and bat second, while a trio of fringe major leaguers will occupy the outfield spots Wednesday. |
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| Sep 4 2016 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI Sunday against the Mariners. | Pujols has been on quite the power surge lately, as he's now homered eight times over his last 18 games, and he now has 29 bombs on the year. Over the course of his 16-year career, the only time he's failed to hit fewer than 28 homers was in 2013, when he played in only 99 games. |
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| Sep 4 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with two homers and three RBI in a 10-3 victory over the Mariners on Saturday. | The 36-year-old hit both his home runs in the first two innings. It was Pujols' first multi-homer game since July 19. He is slashing .264/.323/.459 with 28 home runs, 106 RBI and 59 runs in 508 at-bats this year. |
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| Sep 2 2016 | Pujols (foot) is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners, Angels VP of Comm. Tim Mead reports. | Pujols has been playing through plantar fasciitis in his right foot and was held out of Wednesday's lineup, but that gave him two days to rest up with a team off day Thursday, and he will be back in action Friday night. Pujols will serve as the designated hitter and hit cleanup in the Angels' batting order. |
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| Aug 31 2016 | Pujols has been playing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Although Pujols has been playing with a hurt foot, it hasn't seemed to influence his production at the plate. Over the last 14 games, Pujols is hitting .368/.367/.667 with five home runs and 14 RBI. The Angels have no intentions of putting Pujols on the disabled list, as they expect he'll be able to continue being their DH despite the ailment. However, it may be possible that he'll have more days off to avoid further aggravating the injury. |
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| Aug 31 2016 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup against Cincinnati. | Pujols, who's hit .448/.433/.793 with three home runs and seven RBI over the last seven days, will have the night off. Kole Calhoun will serve as the DH and hit second in Pujols's absence. |
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| Aug 30 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and two RBI in Monday's 9-2 win over the Reds. | Pujols was in the on-deck circle when Mike Trout tied him for the team lead with 25 home runs, and responded immediately by launching one into the seats himself. The 36-year-old first baseman has declined from his incredible prime, but still looks to be on pace for a 14th 30-homer season in 16 major league campaigns. He has picked up the pace of late with four long balls in the last nine games. |
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| Aug 27 2016 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers. | The veteran slugger was one of the few to break through against Justin Verlander, who was mostly in vintage form Friday. Pujols took the former Cy Young winner deep in the first with a 388-foot solo shot, his third round-tripper in the last six games. With another prolific tally in August, Pujols now has over half (51) of his 101-RBI total for 2016 since July 2. |
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| Aug 24 2016 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBI in the Angels' 8-2 win in Toronto. | Pujols exploded out of an 11-for-58 slump Wednesday with his first four-hit game of the season. Pujols has hit for impressive power in 2016, the home run his 24th and the three RBI bringing his total to 99. The 99 RBI is fourth most in the MLB, and his 1797 career RBI are the most among players currently on an MLB roster. While his batting average is down at .257, his 62 strikeouts aren't exactly indicative of selling out for power. |
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| Aug 13 2016 | Pujols is not in the lineup Saturday against Cleveland, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | It looks like nothing more than a routine day off for Pujols, as the Angels will go with Mike Trout as the DH while newly recalled Nick Buss starts in center field. |
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| Aug 3 2016 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a walk-off home run in Wednesday's 8-6 victory against Oakland. | His 12th career walk-off home run gave Pujols 21 bombs on the year, and it also puts the veteran slugger just one shy of Jim Thome's MLB record for game-winners. The two-run finisher pushed Pujols' RBI total up to 84 on the season, good for third-best in the majors. The Ageless Wonder is on pace to blast 30-plus home runs while tallying 125-plus RBI for the fifth time in his 16-year career. |
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| Jul 31 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run Saturday against the Red Sox. | After he started the season batting .185 in his first 33 games, the 36-year-old Pujols seems to have found his stroke. He has 20 RBI in his last 13 games, 30 for the month of July and 80 on the season. The home run by Pujols left him with 1,190 career extra-base hits, tying Lou Gehrig for ninth on baseball's all-time list. The veteran also joined Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only plays with 20-plus home runs in 15 of their first 16 seasons. |
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| Jul 25 2016 | Pujols knocked in four runs as part of a 3-for-5 game in Monday's win over the Royals. | Pujols's power stroke has yet to show up like it has throughout his career, and Monday's performance didn't change that -- all three hits were singles, and his slugging percentage sits at a mere .438. But at least he's driving in runs. Pujols now has four games this month with at least four RBI, and he now has 26 RBI in just 20 games in July. With 76 RBI already, he should have little trouble completing his 13th season with 100 RBI. |
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| Jul 19 2016 | Pujols hit a pair of homers and knocked in six runs in a 3-for-3 game Tuesday in a win over the Rangers. | Pujols is on an absolute tear, with four home runs over his past three games. He also now has three games with four RBI or more this month. His current .447 slugging percentage would still be the worst mark of his illustrious career, but he's starting to show that old pop hasn't completely left his bat yet. |
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| Jul 17 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two homers, a walk, two runs and four RBI Sunday against the White Sox. | Both of Pujols' bombs came with a man on base, and after hitting his second round-tripper of the contest, the Angels were leading 4-1 in a game they'd win easily. He now has just three homers since June 26, and he's slugging .429 on the season. |
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| Jul 3 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a homer, a double and five RBI in a 21-run drubbing of the Red Sox on Saturday. | Pujols got the scoring started with a two-run shot off Clay Buchholz in the first inning, and added a two-run double off Pat Light in the seventh. The aging slugger appears to be picking up steam heading into the All-Star break, having notched 14 hits (including three doubles and three homers) in his last eight games. He is on pace to finish the year with 30 home runs and 110 RBI. |
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| Jun 25 2016 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Athletics on Friday. | Pujols owners likely came into the season willing to sacrifice batting average for home runs, but they likely weren't expecting a slugging percentage below .400 towards the end of June. The 37-year-old is still on pace for 28 homers and 103 RBI, and While those numbers have their place on most rosters, the lack of production in nearly every other category makes Pujols a tough own outside outside of deep leagues. |
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| Jun 23 2016 | Pujols (hamstring) is back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the A's. | Hamstring and ankle injuries kept Pujols out of the lineup for the last two games, but the veteran slugger is now healthy enough to at least stand in for at-bats as he'll serve as the DH on Thursday. Pujols will hit fourth in the order against Kendall Graveman, a pitcher he's gone 5-for-10 lifetime against with a home run and two RBI. |
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| Jun 22 2016 | Pujols (hamstring) is out of the lineup for the second straight day Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The veteran slugger is battling through some lingering hamstring and ankle soreness, and although he got the day off Tuesday, manager Mike Scioscia has opted to give him another day of rest. C.J. Cron will take over at first base while Mike Trout fills in at DH for Wednesday's game against the Astros. Pujols' next chance to return to the lineup will come Thursday when the Angels open a series against the A's. |
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| Jun 21 2016 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros. | Pujols will get an unusual day of rest while Jefry Marte picks up the start, batting sixth as the designated hitter against right-handed starter Colin McHugh. The 36-year old Pujols has struggled a bit in 2016, hitting far below his .310 career batting average with a .234 batting average this season. |
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| Jun 21 2016 | Pujols is dealing with hamstring and ankle soreness, MLB.com reports. | He revealed that he's been dealing with left ankle soreness for three weeks -- the result of rolling the ankle while stretching to make play at first base in an interleague series -- and Pujols' left hamstring became an issue over the weekend. The 36-year-old has not been producing like we've come to expect this season, but at 31-39, the Angels simply cannot afford to give Pujols an extended rest to get right. Expect him back in the lineup in short order. |
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| Jun 16 2016 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs in Wednesday's 10-2 victory over the Twins. | The veteran slugger generated his fourth multi-hit effort of June, while also driving in his seventh run of the month. Like several other teammates, Pujols began the season in a prolonged slump, but has progressively improved his performance at the plate. Hitting below the Mendoza Line as recently as May 15, Pujols has raised his average 35 points over the last month to .232, although that number still represents a whopping 78-point difference from his career .310 figure. The 36-year-old has continued to be productive from a power and RBI standpoint however, as he's generated 12 round-trippers and driven in 43 runs this season despite his struggles. |
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| Jun 6 2016 | Pujols (ankle) is in the lineup Monday as the designated hitter, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols tweaked his ankle late in Sunday's game, but it doesn't appear to be anything serious. The Angels may keep the veteran out of the field for a day or two, but the fact that he's able to DH indicates that any sort of extended absence isn't likely. |
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| Jun 6 2016 | Pujols, in the lineup after sustaining an ankle injury Sunday, went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Monday against the Yankees. | Pujols has been slowly bringing his batting average out of the cellar after an April that saw him hit .176. Over his last four games, the slugger has collected six hits, including a home run, to go along with four RBI. Pujols is still hitting only .244 this season, but his 40 RBI have him among the leaders in the American League. |
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| Jun 5 2016 | Pujols sustained what is expected to be a minor ankle injury on the final play of Sunday's matchup against the Pirates, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia was quick to downplay the situation, though he did admit that Pujols will undergo further evaluation just to be safe. With that information in hand, fantasy owners may want to double check the status of Pujols before inserting him into lineups Monday. |
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| Jun 1 2016 | Pujols is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers. | Manager Mike Scioscia will give the veteran the day off Wednesday in advance of the Angels kicking off a four-game set with the Yankees on Thursday. C.J Cron will take over at first base while Mike Trout will get to rest his legs a bit while he serves as the DH. |
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| May 29 2016 | Pujols went 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts Sunday against the Astros. He also stole his second base of the season. | Pujols increased his average to .229, and he's been showing signs of life at the plate over the past 10 games in which he's tallied eight RBI and five extra-base hits. The 36-year-old veteran has also gone yard in three of the last six contests, so there's reason to believe he'll turn things around as long as he keeps hitting with any sort of consistency. |
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| May 27 2016 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run against Houston on Friday. | The veteran slugger is hitting a mere .219 with a .298 OBP this season, and while the power remains there with 10 home runs and four doubles, it's certainly on the decline as well. With that being said, he's hit safely in six of the past 10 games, so he might be about to go on one of his patented hot streaks sooner than later. |
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| May 23 2016 | Pujols homered, a two-run shot, in a 1-for-4 game in Monday's win over Texas. | Pujols's home run accounted for the only two runs in a pitcher's duel Monday in Arlington. The home run ball continues to be the main way Pujols is contributing for the Angels, as his batting line is mediocre at .228/.307/.409. Still, he's making it count, as he's on pace for 108 RBI and 76 runs scored. His batting average, however, is a huge drag despite his solid contact rate (11.2 strikeout percentage), and considering his .213 BABIP is right in line with the .217 mark he mustered last year, it's hard to project much improvement from Pujols in that department as the season goes on. |
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| Apr 25 2016 | Pujols homered twice as part of a 2-for-4 game with two RBI and three runs scored Monday against the Royals. | The power is the only thing that has shown up for Pujols, who now has five homers in 20 games. But he is hitting just .171/.241/.382 and has a brutal .136 BABIP in his first 83 plate appearances. Pujols hit .244/.307/.480 with a .217 BABIP in 2015. |
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| Apr 17 2016 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in Sunday's loss to the Twins. | The Machine is hardly off to a stellar start to the season, but he has picked it up of late, with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored in his last five games. The Angels as a whole have been up and down to start the season, and perhaps a hot Pujols can help the club achieve some consistency. |
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| Mar 26 2016 | Pujols (foot) is back in the lineup for Saturday's exhibition game, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | This comes as a big relief for Pujols after the veteran slugger fouled a pitch directly off the scar on his surgically repaired foot Friday, causing him to leave the game. He'll draw back into the order Saturday in his usual DH spot. Pujols has yet to truly find his groove this spring, slashing .243/.282/.486, but his power has still been on display as he's hit three home runs in 37 at-bats. |
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| Mar 25 2016 | Pujols is day-to-day with a foot contusion after getting hit by a breaking ball there, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Luckily, there's no indication that the hit-by-pitch aggravated Pujols' recovering foot. It isn't known how long Pujols will have to sit out, but missing multiple days would make it very difficult for him to be ready by Opening Day. |
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| Mar 25 2016 | Pujols left Friday's game after getting hit by a pitch on his previously injured foot, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols felt good enough after the hit-by-pitch to stay in the game and run the bases, but it's tough to fault the team for being cautious. Pujols has been rehabbing that foot for all of spring training after a surgery last November. Check back later for an update. |
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| Mar 22 2016 | Pujols (foot) said Tuesday that he "feels good," but added that he's not going to push it to play in the field as long as he's healthy enough to hit, the Orange County Register reports. | The report notes that Pujols could make his spring debut at first base any day now, but it sounds like the 36-year-old is content just getting at-bats for the time being. Pujols has been happy with how well he's swung the bat to this point, saying "it's better than what I thought." On Saturday, Pujols hit two home runs in one inning against Milwaukee, giving him three homers and nine RBI for the spring. |
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| Mar 14 2016 | Pujols is "close" to being ready to play first base in a game, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia has said that Pujols is moving around well, but the Angels are being very cautious since the 36-year-old has nothing to prove in spring training. He is coming off a season in which he posted a career-low .244 average, but showed he still has the power to be an effective fantasy player after crushing 40 home runs for the first time since 2010. |
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| Mar 6 2016 | Pujols (foot) said he anticipates being ready for Opening Day after going 0-for-3 Sunday against the Royals, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County register reports. | Pujols will DH for the second consecutive time Monday, and while nothing has been made official, it seems that Pujols has a real shot of being in the cleanup on spot Opening Day. There is no word as to when he will return to first base. |
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| Mar 4 2016 | Pujols is slated to make his spring debut Sunday as the Angels' designated hitter, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia recently suggested this was a possibility in light of Pujols' progress from offseason foot surgery. The 36-year-old Pujols has increased his on-field work without a setback, holding up to baserunning and defensive drills. The Angels will continue to be cautious, but Pujols' goal is to be ready for Opening Day. |
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| Mar 1 2016 | Pujols (foot) has ramped up his on-field work of late and manager Mike Scioscia believes the veteran first baseman could be ready for exhibition games as early as this weekend, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Coming into spring training, there were doubts among the Angels about Pujols' status for Opening Day, but the veteran slugger has been making progress and now has his sights set on getting into game action over the weekend. According to Fletcher, Pujols will run the bases and take part in defensive drills Tuesday. He will not play in Wednesday's spring training opener against San Francisco, but a debut could be in the offing for Pujols in the very near future. |
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| Feb 23 2016 | Pujols (foot) is still targeting to be ready by Opening Day, The Houston Chronicle reports. | It appears as though the team and medical staff are prepared for the three-time MVP to start the season on the disabled list, but Pujols remains hopeful that that won't be necessary. The 36-year-old has been taking batting practice but will be eased back into fielding drills, suggesting that the club may view him as more of a DH option than at first base whenever he's ready for game action. |
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| Feb 19 2016 | Pujols (foot) could start the season on the disabled list, MLB.com reports. | Pujols has been swinging a bat of late, but he will not be cleared to participate in defensive drills when he reports to spring training next week. The team will likely take some time to evaluate Pujols before making a decision on his Opening Day status, but if he's still rehabbing as April nears, he could end up on the DL. "If you know Albert, you know that he's always come back quicker than any timeline he's ever been given," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "But we're definitely not going to try to sacrifice the lion's share of the season to get him back maybe two weeks before he should. When he's ready, he's ready." In the event Pujols is still held out of some baseball activities as spring training wears on, one option could be to simply use him in a DH role to begin the season, rather than placing him on the DL. |
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| Feb 18 2016 | The Angels are preparing to open the season without Pujols as he continues to recover from offseason foot surgery, Mike Cranston of the Associated Press reports. "The doctors have given the timeline, but if you know Albert, you know he can always come back quicker than the timeline given. But we're definitely not going to sacrifice a lion's share of the season to get him back maybe two weeks before he should," said manager Mike Scioscia on Thursday. | Although he has begun hitting off a tee, Pujols still has "a lengthy recovery" ahead him, according to the report. The Angels figure to bring Pujols along at a conservative pace throughout spring training so as to not rush him back and risk a setback. If Pujols is ultimately sidelined for the beginning of the season, C.J Cron would be the likeliest candidate to fill in at first base. |
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| Jan 27 2016 | Pujols has been cleared to hit off a tee, FOX Sports reports. | After removing the walking boot on his right foot in early January, Pujols will soon take another step in his recovery. The development doesn't change the expectation that the 36-year-old will reach full baseball activities by late March, which would likely equate to a DL trip to begin the season. Under that scenario, C.J. Cron would take a crack at regular DH duty until Pujols is ready to return. |
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| Jan 4 2016 | Pujols has been cleared to remove the walking boot on his right foot, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | In the midst of a lengthy recovery from November foot surgery, Pujols is taking an important step in the given 4-to-5 month rehab process. Clearly, the aforementioned timetable will place a damper on his availability in the 2016 Cactus League, with the potential that he won't be available for Opening Day. If he requires a DL stint to start the season, C.J. Cron remains the logical option to serve as the Angels' designated hitter. |
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| Nov 9 2015 | Pujols underwent a surgical procedure on his foot recently, and is expected to return to full baseball activities in four to five months. | This procedure will keep the slugger out until mid-to-late March which will put his Opening Day status in question. Most signs are pointing to him not being ready for Opening Day, but it won't likely keep him out of the lineup for a long period of time. C.J. Cron will be the expected fill-in until Pujols can return. |
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| Oct 1 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and two runs scored Thursday against the Rangers. | With three games left on the docket, Pujols just has to slug one more long ball to reach 40 for the seventh time in his career. It'll be interesting if he accomplishes that, as Pujols would likely achieve the rather bizarre feat of posting an OPS south of .800 despite the large power output. While his brutal second-half slump can assume some blame for that, it's well worth noting that Pujols has a major outlier of a BABIP at .213 -- his price will be deflated because of the poor average and his advancing age next year, but simply normalized batted-ball luck could turn him into a solid value. |
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| Sep 26 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Mariners on Friday. | Pujols got his homer off lefty Vidal Nuno and it marks his 37th of the season. The shift has destroyed Pujols' batting average, as he sits at .239 this year. The veteran first baseman may be going all-in for power and it will be tough for him to crack .250 for the first time in his career. |
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| Sep 19 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Twins. | Pujols broke a career-high 0-25 slump with a fourth-inning single before plating Erick Aybar and Kole Calhoun with his sixth-inning two-bagger. The veteran superstar has considerably struggled at the plate after the All-Star break, and has only two homers since Aug. 25, a span of 24 games. The 35-year-old is also currently posting career lows in batting average, BABIP and OBP, yet has his highest total of homers since his final season with the Cardinals in 2011. The Angels and fantasy owners both have to hope that Saturday's performance is a harbinger of things to come for Pujols in the upcoming final key stretch of games. |
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| Sep 8 2015 | An MRI on Pujols' right foot revealed inflammation but nothing major, the Los Angeles Times' Mike DiGiovanna reports. | He started taking medication for the shoulder pain on Monday, and pain toleration will dictate how much plays down the stretch. Pujols is in the lineup at DH hitting third Tuesday and should see a good deal of his action there with C.J. Cron starting at first base going forward. |
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| Sep 7 2015 | Pujols (foot) is still awaiting the results of an MRI on his right foot, but he's in Monday's lineup, Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register reports. | Pujols has been battling soreness in the foot for the past few days, but he's vowed to play through the ailment, regardless of the results of the MRI. Unless something serious, such as a fracture, is revealed, Pujols will likely remain a mainstay in the lineup going forward. |
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| Sep 6 2015 | Pujols will undergo an MRI on his right foot Monday morning, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | Regardless of the results, Pujols claims "I'm still gonna keep playing." As long as the Angels are still within striking distance of the AL Wild Card spot, it appears the veteran slugger will continue to press forward. Once eliminated, it will be difficult for that assertion to hold true. At 35 years old, Pujols is certainly no stranger to foot trouble over the course of his career. |
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| Sep 5 2015 | Pujols, who is serving as the Angels' DH Saturday, is dealing with a sore right foot, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | He was switched from first base to DH a few hours before Saturday's game, and it was revealed that his ailing foot has been an issue of late. Owners probably can't afford to bench Pujols in season-long leagues, but it is not a prime time to be using the veteran slugger in daily formats. |
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| Aug 27 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in a 2-0 win over the Tigers on Thursday. | Pujols was mired in a second half slump, but he seems to be turning it around over the last week or so. Over his last nine games, Pujols has three homers and eight RBI, but has failed to record a multi-hit game. Pujols is a victim of the shifting in baseball as over half his hits have been pulled and it has effected his batting average negatively this season, hitting just .190 to the opposite field. |
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| Aug 19 2015 | Pujols is not in the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox. | Pujols will get the day off after starting every game since August 3. The Angels will go with C.J. Cron at first base with David Murphy serving as the DH. |
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| Aug 16 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-3 Saturday with a solo shot, his 31st home run of the season. | He'd gone 14 games without going yard, so if you have shares in Pujols you can breathe a sigh of relief. There should still be plenty of juice left in the 35-year-old's bat, so don't be surprised if he takes a run at his first 40 HR season since 2010. |
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| Aug 3 2015 | Pujols is out of the lineup Monday against the Indians. | Pujols has skidded a bit during the Angels' six-game losing streak, producing a 5-for-24 mark during that stretch. He'll receive a day off for the first time in the second half, with C.J. Cron set to fill in for him at first base. |
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| Aug 1 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 Saturday with the Angels' lone RBI in a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers. | He accounted for half of the team's hits on a day when they were handcuffed by Clayton Kershaw. Pujols is likely never going to hit above .300 again, but he's re-established himself as a premium slugger this season with 30 HR and 65 RBI through 100 games. |
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| Jul 21 2015 | Pujols is in the lineup Tuesday against Minnesota. | After initially being given the day off Tuesday, the Angels' revised lineup has Pujols batting third as the DH. Pujols served as the DH in the first game of Monday's double-header against Boston before taking over at first base for the second contest, so he'll have a relatively lighter workload Tuesday as the designated hitter. |
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| Jul 21 2015 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins. | Both Pujols and Mike Trout are sitting following Monday's twin bill. Pujols homered three times in the doubleheader, bringing his total this season to 29, but he hasn't had a day off in two months. C.J. Cron will man first base Tuesday with Johnny Giavotella serving as the DH. |
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| Jul 20 2015 | Pujols homered twice in Monday's win over the Red Sox, his 28th and 29th of the season, and scored three runs and knocked in three in the process. | Over his past 56 games, Pujols has now hit 23 home runs and struck out just 22 times. He has also walks 20 times over that stretch. It's reminiscent of some of Pujols's hottest streaks back when he was with the Cardinals, as he combines all the elements of hitting -- power, discipline and contact -- like few other hitters in the league can. In that 56 game stretch, dating back to May 15, Pujols has raised his OPS from .676 to .878. |
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| Jul 8 2015 | Pujols connected on a three-run homer in Tuesday's 10-2 thrashing of the Rockies. | Pujols was part of a four-homer barrage against Rockies starter Chad Bettis, who was unable to make it out of the third inning. It's the 26th long ball of the season for Pujols, whose unexpected power spike has made up for his rather low .264 batting average. |
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| Jul 6 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in a win over the Rangers on Sunday. | Pujols hit his 25th home run of the season Sunday, putting him on pace for 49, which would match his career high set in 2006 as a member of the Cardinals. There is no telling where this explosion of power came from or how long it will last, but Pujols seems to finally be living up to the 10-year, $254 million contract he signed with the Angels in December of 2011. |
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| Jun 28 2015 | Pujols isn't in the lineup Sunday against the Mariners. | Since his four-homer, 10-RBI binge over a four-game stretch a little over a week ago, Pujols has quieted down a bit, but it's hardly reason for alarm. He's drawn a walk in seven straight games to boost his OBP to .340 for the season, and will simply pick up a rest to keep fresh heading into the upcoming week of action. Efren Navarro will have the tall task of replacing Pujols for Sunday's game. |
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| Jun 22 2015 | Pujols hit his 22nd and 23rd home runs in Monday's win over the Astros. He knocked in three. | Pujols is doing that whole "machine" thing again. He has 12 home runs against just four strikeouts in June and 20 home runs against just 16 strikeouts since the beginning of May. He also drew a walk Monday, his ninth of the month. Pujols has shown power at various times in his Angels tenure, but this is the first time we've seen the pure hitter who looked like the best right-handed slugger of his generation in St. Louis since he moved to the West Coast. |
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| Jun 21 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a loss to the A's on Sunday. | Pujols' 21st homer of the season got the Angels on the board in the top of the eighth, but the team failed to push any more across in the 3-2 defeat. The 35-year-old continues to laugh in the face of Father Time, as he is now on pace for 49 home runs and 102 RBI this season. |
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| Jun 19 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with his 20th home run and five RBIs on Friday. | Pujols now has 42 RBIs on the season, and continues to hold on to the clean-up role in Anaheim. If the Angels continue to get runners on base, Pujols should keep driving them in with his .554 slugging percentage. |
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| Jun 17 2015 | Pujols hit his 19th home run, a two-run shot, in Tuesday's win over the Angels. | Pujols's June power tear continues. He's now up to eight home runs in 14 games in the month. His slugging percentage is up to .550, which would be his highest since 2010, his last All-Star season. He now has the AL home run lead to himself, ahead of teammate Mike Trout and two others with 18. |
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| Jun 12 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI Thursday to help the Angels down the Rays, 6-2. | Pujols hit his 17th home run of the season, and it also happened to be his 1,122nd extra-base hit, tying Manny Ramirez for 14th place in that category. The 35-year-old first baseman has 1,635 RBI, one short of Ernie Banks, who is 29th on the all-time list. Pujols is hot, as his homer Thursday was his ninth in 13 games. |
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| Jun 9 2015 | Pujols hit his 16th home run off Nathan Karns in Tuesday's win over over Tampa Bay, part of a 3-for-4 game with three runs scored. | Pujols is on a white-hot tear, with eight home runs over his past 11 games. His slugging percentage has jumped from .418 to .531 over that span. When Pujols is at his best, he's still one of the best in the game, and he's showing that again over the past two weeks. |
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| Jun 7 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Yankees on Sunday. | It looked as though the Angels were on the verge of sending CC Sabathia home early, as Mike Trout and Pujols hit back-to-back homers to open the scoring in the first, but the Halos were unable to bring home any more runs in the contest. The 35-year-old is tearing the cover of the ball in June, hitting .333/.364/.762 with three home runs in 21 at-bats. |
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| Jun 3 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Rays on Tuesday. | Pujols continued his overwhelming display of power Tuesday, as he homered for the sixth time in as many games, tying Jimmie Foxx for 17th on the all-time home run list. The 35-year-old has said in recent days that the groin issue he suffered is not fully behind him, but he is looking as good as he has all season, and is now on pace to hit 43 home runs. |
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| Jun 2 2015 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with two homers and three RBI in the Angels' win over the Rays on Monday night. | He also played all nine innings at first base, after being limited to DH work over the weekend. Pujols is now sitting with 13 homers and 26 RBI this season, while the main concern is that he's on pace to draw fewer walks than he did a year ago when he picked up just 48 free passes over 159 games. |
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| Jun 1 2015 | Pujols is back in the lineup at first base Monday, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. | Pujols spent a few days as the DH after tweaking his groin over the weekend, but he's back in the field Monday, manning first base and hitting third against Rays starter Alex Colome. Matt Joyce will serve as the DH. |
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| May 31 2015 | Pujols (groin) will continue to be used only as a DH while he recovers from the groin strain he suffered in Friday's game, the LA Times reports. | Pujols played Saturday and is in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers, so it appears he's going to continue playing through the injury. With 11 home runs this season, Pujols has done some damage to help fantasy teams, but the fact that he's hitting .250 through 180 at-bats leaves a bad aftertaste. |
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| May 30 2015 | Pujols tweaked his groin muscle Friday but will be able to DH on Saturday against the Tigers, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The fact that Pujols will be able to serve in a DH capacity a day after suffering the injury suggests it's not especially serious, but it's something to monitor in the days ahead. Efren Navarro was recalled and is starting at first base Saturday. |
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| May 30 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in a win over the Tigers on Saturday. | Pujols was the DH in the contest after tweaking his groin Friday, but the injury does not appear to have affected his power stroke, as he has now hit a home run in each of the last three games. Pujols will likely keep owners on edge waiting for the next injury concern, but has shown that he can still hit balls over the fence when he is on the field. The 35-year-old will take a six-game hitting streak into the matchup against the Tigers on Sunday. |
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| May 29 2015 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with his 10th homer of the year and two runs scored Friday against the Tigers. | In fact, Pujols -- whose homer was No. 530 in his career -- scored the only two runs of the game. His numbers have been down early this year, but he now owns a five-game hitting streak, during which the 35-year-old slugger has gone 8-for-19 (.421) with a pair of homers. |
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| May 28 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Padres. | Pujols has now hit safely in five of six games since sitting out last Thursday after taking a pitch to the hand. For the month, he's put together a .258 average with eight RBI and five home runs. |
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| May 23 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored in a win over the Red Sox on Friday. | Pujols sat out a game earlier this week after being hit in the hand with a pitch, but the 35-year-old's production does not seem to have been halted due to the ailment, as he now has three homers in his last seven games. Pujols has eight home runs and a .726 OPS in 39 contests this season. |
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| May 22 2015 | Pujols is back in the lineup Friday, batting third and playing first base. | Pujols suffered a hand contusion earlier in the week, which forced him out of the lineup for Thursday's game. He's back in the lineup Friday for the Angels' series opener against the Red Sox. Pujols will be facing Rick Porcello, against whom he is 4-for-13 with two doubles in his career. |
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| May 21 2015 | Pujols (hand) expects to be able to play Friday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols is being held out of Thursday's lineup after suffering a left hand contusion in Wednesday's contest, but could be available as a pinch-hitter per the report. Even if he's not ready to go by Friday, it doesn't sound as though the issue is anything major, so Pujols likely won't miss too much time. |
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| May 21 2015 | Pujols (hand) is out of the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jays. | Pujols suffered a left hand contusion in Wednesday's game, causing him to exit early. He'll take a day off Wednesday, but a contusion shouldn't lead to an extended absence. Marc Krauss will start at first base in his place, batting second for the Angels. |
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| May 20 2015 | Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said Pujols is "OK" and considered day-to-day with a left hand contusion, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Dipoto added that there are no fractures or broken bones in Pujols' hand or wrist. Pujols was replaced by Marc Krauss in Wednesday's game, and the 35-year-old's availability for Thursday's game against Toronto remains in question. |
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| May 20 2015 | Pujols was replaced by Marc Krauss in Wednesday's game after taking a pitch off his left wrist, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and remained in the game to play first base in the bottom half of the frame, but he was eventually replaced by Krauss. There is no word yet on the severity of Pujols' injury, but an update should be made available ahead of Thursday's series finale against Toronto. |
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| May 20 2015 | Pujols has been initially diagnosed with a left hand contusion, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols left Wednesday's game after being hit on the wrist by a pitch. It appears that he avoided suffering any broken bones in his left hand, but there's still no word on whether he'll have to miss any time. |
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| May 18 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a home run in a loss to the Blue Jays on Monday. | The solo shot was Pujols' second in four games, but the 35-year-old is struggling in almost every area besides homers, as he has tallied just a .287 OBP and .711 OPS in 36 contests. Whie Pujols should continue to be a solid contributor in the power department as long as he stays healthy, owners may need to come to terms with the fact that the hitter who dominated the National League for the better part of a decade is unlikely to return. |
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| May 6 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in a win over the Mariners on Tuesday. | Pujols got the Angels on the board Tuesday, driving a pitch out to center field off starter James Paxton in the first inning. Pujols is on pace to hit 30 home runs this season, but has logged just a .749 OPS through 25 games. |
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| May 3 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Giants on Saturday. | There was a chance that Pujols would be out a few more days while battling a hamstring injury, so the ability to generate power will likely come as a relief to owners. Aside from the occasional dinger, Pujols has been quiet at the plate to open the season, tallying just a .684 OPS in 22 games. The 35-year-old has now tallied at least one hit in five straight games, but with the cloud of injury starting to hang in the air once again, owners may be left to wonder how often Pujols is playing at full strength. |
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| May 2 2015 | Pujols (hamstring) is back in the lineup Saturday against the Giants, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The fear was that the hamstring injury could keep Pujols out through the weekend, but the 35-year-old will step back in Saturday to face right-hander Tim Hudson. Pujols, who hit in the batting cage and on the field Friday without issue, is 14-for-32 (.438 average) with three home runs in his career against Hudson. |
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| May 1 2015 | Pujols (hamstring) hit in the batting cage and will hit on the field Friday, and reported feeling better overall, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols has been suffering from hamstring soreness, and he'll miss two games in a row including Friday due to the issue. It sounds as though the problem is minor, however, as he's expected to rejoin the lineup this weekend. |
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| Apr 30 2015 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in the lineup Thursday, as expected, the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports. | Pujols is not expected to need a DL stint, but he could also miss this weekend's series in San Francisco as there will be no DH and he may not be healthy enough to play the field. C.J. Cron will get the start at first base and hit sixth Thursday. |
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| Apr 30 2015 | Pujols (hamstring) said Thursday that he's feeling better, and he hopes to rejoin the lineup either Saturday or Sunday in San Francisco, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | It would thus seem Pujols is unlikely to return for Friday's game against the Giants, after sitting out Thursday's win over the Athletics. He still isn't expected to require a stint on the disabled list, but it will be somewhat concerning for owners if he isn't back in the lineup by the end of the weekend. |
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| Apr 30 2015 | Pujols (hamstring) is not expected to end up on the DL, but he may be out for the rest of the week, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | He is not expected to start Thursday after leaving Wednesday's game with a tight hamstring, and with the Angels playing a weekend series in San Francisco the DH will not be an option for Pujols over the weekend. C.J. Cron will likely get the starts at first base in the short term, with Matt Joyce starting at DH. |
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| Apr 29 2015 | Pujols has soreness in his hamstring but manager Mike Scioscia doesn't think that Pujols will need to go on the DL. | That said, Pujols isn't expected to start Thursday's day game against the A's. |
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| Apr 29 2015 | Pujols was taken out of Wednesday's game after injuring his hamstring while running to first base. | Pujols hit a soft single into center field and hobbled into first base. It may not be serious, but hamstring injuries can tend to linger for long periods of time. The only other player to start at first base for the Angels this season is Efren Navarro, so he may get more playing time if Pujols has to miss time. |
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| Apr 15 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs Wednesday in a win over Texas. | It's been a slow start to the year for Albert -- although he raised his average 40 points, it's still only at .188. He does have a couple homers in the early going, and he's walked more than he's struck out, so it's a good belt that Pujols' stats will stabilize soon. |
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| Apr 13 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double in a loss to the Royals on Sunday. | Pujols has just four hits in 22 at-bat to begin the season, but has yet to record a single, leaving us with an odd-looking .182/.250./.545 slash line through six games. As long as he is showing power, owners probably shouldn't be too concerned, as the most important thing is that he feels good at the plate after dealing with several nagging injuries last season. |
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| Apr 9 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in a win over the Mariners on Wednesday. | Pujols, who is off to a bit of a slow start this season, logging two hits in his first 11 at-bats, moved into a three-way tie for 18th place in MLB history with the home run in the first inning. The 35-year-old will likely continue through his decline phase, but owners with realistic expectations will likely be happy with the 30/100 potential he can still offer in a healthy year. |
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| Apr 8 2015 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double and a run in Tuesday's game against the Mariners. | This was his first hit through two games this season. He may find it difficult to do much Wednesday as the Angels close out their first series against Hisashi Iwakuma, who has held Pujols to a .185 average in 27 career plate appearances. |
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| Mar 13 2015 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the Cactus League game against the Cubs on Thursday. | Pujols has been on fire to begin the spring, tallying eight hits and four RBI in 17 at-bats. All of the hits have been singles, and he has yet to draw a walk, but it's nice to see Pujols comfortable in the box, as a slew of minor ailments last season appeared to sap his production after a dominant start. Pujols said in November that his knee would be fully healthy coming into camp for the first time in years, but the question will once again be whether his body can withstand the rigors of a full season. Pujols finished 2014 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI. |
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| Oct 6 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a home run in a loss to the Royals in Game 3 of the ALDS on Sunday. | Pujols and Trout both managed solo shots Sunday, but it wasn't enough, and the team that ended the regular season with the best record in baseball fell to the Royals in three games. Pujols will enter the offseason looking to build on the 28 home runs and 105 RBI he tallied over 159 games in 2014. |
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| Sep 23 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in a loss to the A's on Monday. | Pujols seems intent on finishing the 2014 season strong, as the veteran slugger is 5-for-12 with two homers and six RBI in his last three games. |
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| Sep 21 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a win over the Rangers on Saturday. | Pujols may never get back to the player he was in his prime, as he is in danger of finishing with an OPS below .800 for the second consecutive year, but he has been able to put up counting stats in 2014. The 34-year-old now has 27 home runs and 100 RBI this season. |
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| Sep 18 2014 | Pujols is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mariners. | As is custom the day after a division-clinching win, manager Mike Scioscia is resting his regulars after securing the AL West crown Wednesday night. Efren Navarro will take over at first base, with Brennan Boesch batting third in Pujols' absence. |
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| Sep 16 2014 | Pujols (hamstring) is in the lineup Tuesday against the Mariners. | Pujols grabbed at his left hamstring as he made his way to second base in the third inning of Monday's game, but the official diagnosis was just a cramp and he won't even miss a start as a result. The Angels will also get Josh Hamilton (shoulder) back, a day after becoming the first team to clinch a postseason birth. |
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| Sep 15 2014 | Pujols left Monday's game against the Mariners with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. | Pujols' night turned sour in a matter of seconds Monday, as he hurt the hamstring while legging out a three-RBI double in the third inning. There is no word regarding the severity of the injury at this time, but the Angels likely don't want to risk the health of one of their best hitters as they gear up for what will almost certainly be a playoff run, which could have factored into his removal from the contest. |
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| Sep 15 2014 | Pujols suffered a left hamstring cramp in Monday's contest against the Mariners. | Pujols seemingly tweaked the hamstring after legging out a bases-clearing triple, but it sounds like dehydration is to blame here. The Angels surely dodged a bullet, as Pujols has been bothered by hamstring issues in the past, but he looks to have avoided any more serious complications, such as a strain. Manager Mike Scioscia may still hold him out of the lineup for a day or two as a precaution, but it sounds like the Angels aren't fearing the extended absence of one of their major offensive weapons as the playoffs approach. |
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| Sep 12 2014 | Pujols went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in a win over the Rangers on Thursday. | Pujols' hot hitting of late came to a screeching halt Thursday, as he struck out four times in a game for the first time in his career. Despite the off night, Pujols has put together a bounce-back season in 2014, tallying 26 home runs and 92 RBI in 144 games. |
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| Sep 11 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-6 with a triple, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday. | Pujols had three chances at a cycle after getting hits in his first three at-bats of the contest, but proceeded to hit ground balls in those appearances. The triple was his first since 2010. Pujols now has 11 hits in his last 25 at-bats. |
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| Sep 8 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in a win over the Indians on Monday. | Pujols is in the middle of a five-game hitting streak, but has been particularly impressive in the last three contests. He's tallied eight hits in 14 at-bats over that span, including two doubles, two homers and seven RBI. |
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| Sep 7 2014 | Pujols had a big night at the plate Saturday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and three runs scored in a win over the Twins. | It was a special night for Pujols, who tallied his 2,500th career hit and his 1,500th run scored, while also notching the go-ahead two-run double in the top of the ninth. Pujols is now on pace to hit the 100-RBI mark this season and could be a big factor for the Angels down the stretch as they look to pull away from the A's in the race for the division title in the AL West. |
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| Aug 30 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run in a win over the A's on Friday. | Pujols tallied his first home run since Aug. 16 in the contest, giving him 24 on the season. Though not the player he once was, Pujols has had a productive 2014 campaign, and is projected to finish with 29 long balls and 99 RBI. |
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| Aug 28 2014 | Pujols is in the lineup for Thursday's game against the A's, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. | Pujols exited Wednesday's game in the seventh inning after fouling a ball off his calf earlier in the contest, but it turns out his removal was only precautionary. As he regularly does, Pujols will man first base and bat third Thursday night. |
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| Aug 27 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with two RBI in a win over the Marlins on Tuesday. | Pujols is in the midst of a power outage, having not tallied an extra-base hit since Aug. 17, but the 34-year-old has been getting his knocks of late, notching six hits in his last 12 at-bats. |
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| Aug 27 2014 | Pujols was removed from Wednesday's game against the Marlins due to feeling "a little tight," but he is expected to play Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia said that Pujols got a bit tight after fouling a pitch off his calf earlier in the game, which led to his removal for a pinch-runner in the bottom of the seventh. It sounds like the move was precautionary in nature, but there may be a bit more concern for someone like Pujols, who has dealt with minor ailments at various times this season. |
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| Aug 17 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Rangers on Saturday. | Pujols has really picked it up in the past two months after struggling tremendously in May and June. He now sits with 23 home runs and 74 RBI this season, which is likely more than owners could have hoped for after the 34-year-old's disappointing 2013 season. |
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| Aug 10 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-9 with a walk-off home run in a win over the Red Sox in 19 innings on Saturday. | The game, which was the longest in Angel Stadium history at 6 hours and 31 minutes long, saw Pujols playing third base before reaching its conclusion, which occurred on the full count offering from Brandon Workman to lead off the bottom of the 19th. There is no word on how the late night may effect the lineup Sunday, but a player who has dealt with minor ailments, such as Pujols, could conceivably be given the day off. |
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| Aug 6 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, a walk and two RBI in a loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. | Pujols was a momentary hero Tuesday, as his home run in the eighth inning off Brian Wilson tied the game before a run in the bottom of the ninth gave the Dodgers the victory. The 34-year-old has tallied two doubles, a homer and three RBI in in his last seven at-bats. |
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| Jul 30 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-6 with a double in a win over the Orioles on Tuesday. | Pujols continued his hot hitting in the month of July Tuesday, as his .858 OPS is his highest such mark in a calendar month since he notched a .934 OPS in April. |
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| Jul 14 2014 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in a win over the Rangers on Sunday. | Pujols is on a remarkable run to begin July, as he has multi-hit games in eight of 13 contests this month, while slugging .610 with four home runs over that span. The 34-year-old has shown us what he can do when healthy, but has been hampered by minor ailments at various points during the season, which could turn out to be a perennial concern for owners. |
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| Jul 9 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a game-winning two-run homer against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. | The Angels jumped out to an early lead in the contest Wednesday, but poor defense and poor pitching by C.J Wilson ultimately resulted in a 7-6 deficit for the Halos in the seventh, which Pujols erased with a 406-foot shot to center field. The 34-year-old has been steadily building his numbers back up after struggling mightily in May and June, as a 12-for-25 showing with three home runs over his last six games has brought his OPS up to .809 this season. He has 10 RBI over that stretch. |
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| Jul 6 2014 | Pujols delivered for the Angels on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Astros on Saturday. | That's back-to-back big games for Pujols, who collected six hits, two homers, and five RBI against the Astros this weekend. If the 34-year-old's offense can get anywhere close to where it was in the month of April, the Halos may just take control of the AL West in short order. |
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| Jul 4 2014 | Pujols had a big night Friday, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base, two RBI and three runs scored against the Astros. | Pujols may be gradually coming back to life, as he has now hit two home runs in his past five games, and scored three runs in a contest for the first time this season Saturday. For owners, games like this may seem few and far between for Pujols, but the 34-year-old has kept his pace constant, and is currently on track to finish the season with 34 homers and 99 RBI this season. |
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| Jul 1 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in a win over the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Tuesday. | Pujols' only hit in the contest was his first dinger since June 14. The 34-year-old's fast start in April has all but evaporated as he continues to play through a variety of ailments, but he is on pace for 34 home runs this season. |
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| Jun 30 2014 | Pujols (groin) is in the lineup Monday versus the White Sox in Chicago, Eric Kay of the Angels' official site reports. | Pujols will play in spite of a swollen lymph node near his groin, which afflicts his running, not his bat. The latter point shouldn't deter owners from trotting him out there Monday, especially considering his recent seven-game run at the plate. During that span, he hit .321 (9-for-28) with five RBI, four runs, and one steal. |
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| Jun 29 2014 | Pujols said after Sunday's game that he has an inflamed gland near his left hip, but still expects to play Monday in Chicago, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols has been playing through the injury since Wednesday, and he said that it doesn't affect his hitting. The issue was raised after he got thrown out at second base standing up on what should have been an easy double. Pujols has five RBI and eight hits in 20 at-bats (.400 BA) since the injury first started bothering him Wednesday. |
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| Jun 29 2014 | Pujols said that the swollen lymph node near his groin only bothers him while he's running, not while he's hitting, the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols isn't currently projected to miss any starts, but the Angels may choose to pinch-run for him late in games as a result of this injury. "They're not concerned about it and I'm not either," Pujols said. "It doesn't bother me to hit, and that was the first time it bothered me running, when I tried to stop. But I don't think it's something to be concerned about." |
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| Jun 27 2014 | Pujols had a big game Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Twins. | Pujols picked up his first extra-base hit since June 14, and his first stolen base since May 9 in the contest. The 34-year-old has been bothered by one minor ailment or another for most of the season, so it was nice to see him break out in this fashion. |
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| Jun 22 2014 | Pujols (back) is back in the lineup Sunday as the designated hitter against the Rangers. | Pujols missed Saturday's game after leaving Friday with back stiffness. He isn't playing defensively, however, as he is serving as the team's designated hitter with C.J. Cron starting at first base. The team may decide to take it day by day with Pujols to ensure he doesn't aggravate the injury. |
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| Jun 21 2014 | Pujols (back) is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rangers, Eric Kay of the Angels' official site reports. | A stiff back knocked Pujols out of Friday's contest and will do so again Saturday. The Angels made an interesting move in calling up Efren Navarro, who is covering first base over Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron. It's unclear if a DL stint is in the offing, but consider Pujols day-to-day for now. |
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| Jun 20 2014 | Updating a previous report, Pujols left Friday's game against the Rangers with back stiffness, Rahshuan Haylock of KCBS/KCAL reports. | Pujols was replaced by Grant Green in the top of the sixth inning. The Angels had a big lead in the contest at the time of his removal, so the move may have been precautionary, but at this point in his career, any hint of an ailment will likely make Pujols owners sweat. There is no word on whether the 34-year-old will be able to play Saturday. |
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| Jun 20 2014 | Pujols left a game against the Rangers on Friday in the top off the sixth inning for an undisclosed reason. | It did not appear that the 34-year-old suffered any sort of injury, but Grant Green came in to play first base to begin the sixth inning. The Angels were leading 7-1 at the time of the swap, so it's possible manager Mike Scioscia made the move simply to get Pujols some rest. Whatever the case, we will likely know more after the game. |
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| Jun 19 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in a loss to the Indians on Thursday. | A day after having his eight-game hitting streak snapped, Pujols was at it again, driving in two big runs in the top of the tenth inning, which looked to be the deciding blow of the game until the Halos' bullpen coughed up the lead in the bottom of the frame. Pujols is slowly beginning to creep back to respectability after an awful cold stretch, as he now has a .798 OPS this season. |
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| Jun 15 2014 | Pujols had a big night Saturday, going 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, four RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Braves. | Don't look now, but the aging slugger has put together a bit of a hitting streak of late. He has now tallied a base knock in six consecutive contests, and is hitting .345 over that span. Fantasy owners have been begging for this kind of production from Pujols, who seems to be getting his second wind in the month of June. |
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| Jun 6 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the White Sox on Friday. | For Pujols owners, the best thing to do would perhaps be to just keep focusing on that impressive home run total, which now stands at 15. The 37-year-old has really cooled off after his hot start at the beginning of the season, as he is now 6-for-39 in his last 10 games. It may not be entirely fair, but it seems reasonable to assume that every slide of Pujols' from here on out will have questions regarding his health attached to it. |
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| May 30 2014 | Pujols is back in the lineup Friday against the A's, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The Angels just wanted to give Pujols a day off, after he played the first 52 games of the season. He returns to a favorable matchup against A's lefty Drew Pomeranz. |
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| May 29 2014 | Pujols is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mariners, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols has appeared in all 52 games for the Angels so far this season, so it looks like skipper Mike Scioscia is just using Thursday as an opportunity to give him some rest. The 34-year-old is enjoying a resurgent season after an injury-plagued 2013, ranking fourth in the American League with 14 homers. |
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| May 26 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday against the Mariners. | Pujols already has 14 home runs in 50 games this season after hitting 17 home runs in 99 games last year. His average is still down as he is only hitting .267, but at least he is contributing mightily in the power department again. |
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| May 21 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Astros on Wednesday. | Collin McHugh and Jered Weaver were locked in a 1-1 pitcher's duel before Pujols' moonshot over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth allowed his hurler to cruise to a complete-game victory. The 34-year-old now has three home runs in his last four games, and looks to have recovered from the bout with knee stiffness that he had been dealing with recently. |
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| May 18 2014 | Puljols had a huge game Sunday, going 3-for-4 with two solo home runs in a win over the Rays. | Pujols also singled in the contest. For owners, the power display from the 34-year-old must feel like a breath of fresh air, as he had not homered since May 4, and has been dealing with stiffness in his legs recently. Pujols definitely looked healthy Sunday, however, and will look to get back to being the man who hit nine home runs in the month of April. |
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| May 16 2014 | Pujols was back at first base against the Rays on Friday, going 1-for-4 in the contest. | Pujols had been the designated hitter in three out of the last four games coming into the contest Friday, as Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reported that the 34-year-old is dealing with "soreness" in his lower-half that may have been triggered by playing on turf during the Halos' recent series against the Blue Jays. Manager Mike Scioscia doesn't seem worried about the ailment, and Pujols has yet to miss a game this season, but the proof may be in the stat sheet, as he now has six hits in his last 42 at-bats after his performance against the Rays. Though the Angels seem content to downplay the ailment, it seems that some amount of concern from owners is probably appropriate, as the ability for Pujols' legs to hold up was one of the key issues hovering around the slugger heading into the 2014 season. |
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| May 15 2014 | Pujols will serve as the DH once again Thursday night, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols has been the Angels' designated hitter in three of the last four games, and it should be noted that he hasn't been running well following a four-game set on the turf in Toronto. He's healthy enough to remain in the lineup, but the situation is one worth monitoring moving forward. His absence from first base should allow C.J. Cron to see more reps, should this pattern continue. |
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| May 14 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a double a two runs scored in a win against the Phillies on Wednesday. | Pujols broke a 1-for-25 skid with a nice game Wednesday, going to the opposite field in the first inning for two bases. The 34-year-old will look to continue hitting to all fields in order to get back on track after a scorching hot start to the season. |
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| May 4 2014 | Pujols (hamstring) had a solo home run and was hit by a pitch in a 14-3 loss to the Rangers on Saturday. | Pujols likely calmed the nerves of many fantasy owners with his moonshot in the first inning off Yu Darvish Saturday, as the 34-year-old was slotted as the designated hitter for the second game in a row due to hamstring tightness. Pujols showed no ill effects from the injury during the game, and it seems as though he could be back at first base in the coming days. |
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| May 4 2014 | Pujols (hamstring) hit a solo home run and was hit by a pitch in a 14-3 loss to the Rangers on Sunday. | Pujols likely calmed the nerves of many fantasy owners with his moon shot in the first inning off Yu Darvish on Sunday, as the 34-year-old was slotted as the designated hitter for the second game in a row due to hamstring tightness. Pujols showed no ill effects from the injury during the game, and it seems as though he could be back at first base in the coming days. |
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| May 4 2014 | Pujols (hamstring) will again serve as the designated hitter in Sunday's game against the Rangers. | The fact that the Angels are allowing Pujols play through the injury as the designated hitter suggests the team isn't too worried that he'll land on the DL. He should be back to manning first base within a few days. |
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| May 3 2014 | Pujols was the designated hitter Saturday against the Rangers due to a tight hamstring, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols was initially slated to play first base in the contest Saturday, but a late switch in the lineup card left him with a half-day off, and now we know why. Manager Mike Scioscia said after the game that the Angels aren't worried about the ailment, but whether Pujols' body would hold up through a full season was one of the concerns hanging over the head of the 34-year-old coming into 2014, so owners are likely taking every talk of ailment seriously. Pujols is slated to be the designated hitter once again Sunday in an effort to give his legs some rest. |
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| Apr 25 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a blowout win against the Yankees on Friday. | There isn't much to do with Pujols these days besides wind him up and watch him go. The 34-year-old now has nine home runs in the month of April, and has notched three consecutive two-hit games. |
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| Apr 23 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored in a loss against the Nationals on Wednesday. | Pujols didn't feel the need to ease up after hitting his 499th and 500th home run Tuesday, and is looking more and more like the masher we once knew, as he has a .625 slugging percentage in 88 at-bats this season. |
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| Apr 22 2014 | Pujols had a monster night at the plate Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored in a win over the Nationals. | Pujols made history twice over Tuesday, as he became the 26th member of the 500 home run club, while simultaneously becoming the only player to hit his 499th and 500th dinger in the same game. Pujols' hot start is quickly turning into a dominating performance, as he now leads the major leagues with eight home runs this season. |
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| Apr 19 2014 | Manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday that Pujols was dealing with a bruised left heal during the opening week of the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | This may explain why Pujols began the season 4-for-21 (.190) with no home runs, but Scioscia said that the 34-year-old's heal is "not an issue" anymore. Pujols came into the contest against the Tigers on Saturday with a .920 OPS and five home runs, but for fantasy owners, the ailment may turn into another health concern to monitor down the stretch. |
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| Apr 19 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Tigers on Saturday. | Pujols struggled against starter Max Scherzer (as did most of the Angels' lineup), but connected on a first pitch fastball off of Joe Nathan in the ninth inning to record his sixth home run of the season. Pujols looks very comfortable at the plate so far this season, and now has 498 career home runs. |
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| Apr 18 2014 | Pujols had a big night at the plate Friday, going 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double and two runs scored in a win over the Tigers. | After an 0-5 detour in Oakland on Tuesday, the Pujols train has resumed rolling, as the 34-year old is 5-for-9 with four RBI over his last two games. It seems safer to declare that Pujols is back with each passing day, as he reached his fifth home run of the season in his 68th at-bat Friday. |
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| Apr 13 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a homer and a walk in a win over the Mets on Sunday. | Pujols was the middleman in an attack which saw the Angels launch three home runs in the first inning off Bartolo Colon on Sunday. Pujols now has three home runs in his last five games, and at least one hit in nine consecutive games. The 34-year-old appears to be heating up, despite hitting just .240 in his first 50 at-bats this season. |
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| Apr 13 2014 | Pujols will be the designated hitter for the Angels against the Mets on Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols will DH for the second time in four games Sunday, after saying during the offseason that he would play most of his games at first base. There may or may not be an issue here, but it will be incumbent upon fantasy owners to track Pujols' health carefully after playing just 99 games in 2013 due to plantar fasciitis. |
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| Apr 9 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in a win over the Mariners on Wednesday. | Much has been made of what seems like another slow start for Pujols, but it seems as though he's beginning to hit the gas, as he hit his second home run in as many nights Wednesday to give the Angels an early lead they would not relinquish. Pujols is now sporting an .835 OPS this season, which, if nothing else, should highlight how silly it is to worry about statistics this early, as his OPS was .723 prior to Wednesday's contest. |
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| Apr 8 2014 | Pujols hit a milestone in his career Tuesday, becoming just the second current player to tally 1500 or more RBI after hitting a two-run homer in the first inning of a loss to the Mariners. | Pujols, who has 1501 RBI after hitting his first home run of the season Tuesday, is the only active player who can boast membership to this exclusive club, as Alex Rodriguez is currently serving a 162-game suspension for violation of MLB's joint drug policy. The home run was part of a back-to-back set with third baseman David Freese, which would be the only scoring for the Angels in the contest. |
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| Apr 7 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's game against the Astros. | A minor right arm injury surfaced for Pujols during Saturday's game, but he played through it and didn't seem to have any limitations Sunday. Pujols is 5-for-25 (.200) with an RBI through six games this season. |
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| Apr 5 2014 | Pujols was "dinged up" with a right arm injury Saturday, but he remained in the game, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols should be back in the lineup Sunday, according to Gonzalez. He went 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout Saturday. His early season line is nothing impressive, but it would be a positive sign for him to make it through the entire full first week of the season without needing to sit given his recent injury history. |
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| Apr 1 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored Tuesday in a loss to the Mariners. | It was the second double in as many nights for Pujols, who passed Ted Williams on the all-time list with his 526th career two-bagger. |
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| Apr 1 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in an Opening Day loss to the Mariners on Monday. | Pujols' ringing two-bagger was his only hit of the contest, but it was good to see him drive the ball in the first game of the regular season after playing just 99 games in 2013 due to plantar fasciitis. Now healthy, Pujols is looking for a bounce-back season in 2014. |
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| Mar 23 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, an RBI and a run scored against the Indians on Sunday. | Pujols hit his first triple as a member of the Angels on Sunday, and is now hitting .326 this spring. |
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| Mar 20 2014 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with his first home run of the spring in a game against the Royals on Thursday. | Pujols is now 3-for-6 with three extra-base hits in his last two games, and looks to be rounding into shape after scuffling early on this spring. |
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| Mar 19 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI in a Cactus League game against the White Sox on Wednesday. | Pujols swung the bat well Wednesday, and is now hitting .294 in Cactus League play after a slow start to the spring. Pujols has been proclaiming how good he feels all offseason, and may head into the 2014 season ready for a bounce-back campaign. |
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| Mar 17 2014 | Pujols left camp to attend an event in Chicago with his wife Monday, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols was excused in order to attend an event for the Pujols Family Foundation in Chicago, and is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday. |
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| Mar 14 2014 | Pujols said Friday he feels he will only need to DH "one or two times" this season, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols' legs are apparently feeling good this spring, so much so that he said he will be able to play first base most of the time in 2014. Pujols has indicated several times this offseason that he is in good health, so he will certainly be interesting to watch early on this season. |
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| Mar 12 2014 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a Cactus League game against the Brewers on Wednesday. | Pujols has been off to a slow start this spring, but hit the ball hard twice Wednesday, and may be rounding into form as we head into the ides of March. |
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| Mar 10 2014 | Pujols will be on the bench Monday after starting the last three games, and said that he wants to play in three-game increments for the rest of the spring, MLB.com reports. | There has been nothing to suggest that Pujols is dealing with an injury, so the first baseman probably just wants to get his rest in to ensure that he is ready for Opening Day, as he said recently that he expects to play first base the majority of the time this season. Prospect C.J. Cron will play first base Monday in his absence. |
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| Mar 2 2014 | Pujols expects to play first base "95 percent of the time" this season, MLB.com reports. | Pujols said he "feels great" Sunday, and expects to be able to play first base for the Angels as often as possible in 2014 after an injury-plagued 2013 season saw him suit up for just 99 games before eventually being shut down in August. |
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| Feb 28 2014 | Pujols will bat third and play first base for the Angels in the exhibition opener against the Cubs on Friday, the team's official web site reports. | Manager Mike Scioscia said last week that Pujols is unlikely to start every spring contest at first base in preparation for the start of the regular season, but he will man the position for the first time since last July on Friday. |
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| Feb 19 2014 | According to manager Mike Scioscia, the goal is for Pujols to be the Angels' everyday first baseman in 2014, MLB.com reports. | Pujols will likely not be able to play first base everyday when spring training games start, but will look to spend the majority of his time at the position once the season begins. |
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| Feb 13 2014 | Pujols (foot) will have no restrictions at the start of spring training, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | In describing what it was like to fight through his plantar fasciitis last season, Pujols said it was "like playing with a flat tire and a broken rim." Fortunately, it seems the decision to shut him down in August paid off, as the slugger is said to finally be back at 100 percent. The three-time NL MVP will be a full go entering camp and an obvious candidate to rebound at the dish during the season. |
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| Feb 10 2014 | Pujols (Foot) dropped his lawsuit against former Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark Monday after Clark released a public apology for stating that he "knew for a fact" that Pujols was "a juicer" on his radio show in August. The show was cancelled and Clark was fired from WGNU-AM radio in St. Louis as a result of the comments. | This is a bit of a turnaround for Clark, who filled a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in January on the grounds that his comments were not specific enough to cause any harm, but he has apparently changed his mind, stating that he sincerely apologizes for his statements. Pujols has accepted the apology, and has dropped the lawsuit. The Halos' slugger can now get back to focusing purely on baseball, as he is coming into 2014 healthy and looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2013 season |
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| Nov 15 2013 | Pujols told ESPNDeportes Radio that his left foot is "99.9 percent healthy," MLB.com reports. | The interview with ESPNDeportes Radio apparently took place earlier this week. Pujols said that he feels "really excellent," and seemed to intimate that his issues with plantar fasciitis are a thing of the past. If this turns out to be the case, it would undoubtedly be thrilling news for the Angels, who have been waiting for Pujols to return to form after signing him to a 10-year, $254 million contract in December of 2011. |
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| Nov 12 2013 | Pujols is progressing well, and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols will take another step forward in his preparation for the 2014 season Wednesday, as he is scheduled to take live batting practice, according to Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. Pujols struggled with plantar fasciitis for most of 2013, but all signs up to this point indicate he will be ready to take the field in the spring of 2014. |
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| Nov 12 2013 | Pujols (foot) is progressing well, and is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols will take another step forward in his preparation for the 2014 season Wednesday, as he is scheduled to take live batting practice, according to Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. Pujols struggled with plantar fasciitis for most of 2013, but all signs up to this point indicate he will be ready to take the field in the spring of 2014. |
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| Sep 23 2013 | Pujols will not need surgery on his left heel in the offseason, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Appearently. the tear in the Plantar fascia that occured in July made surgery unnecessary. Pujols reportedly feels good, and was still working out with the expectation that he could return for the playoffs. Now that postseason play is no longer an option, the All-Star first baseman can shut it down completely and focus on returning in the spring of 2014. |
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| Aug 19 2013 | Pujols (foot) has been officially shut down for the rest of the season, Alden Gonzalez of the MLB.com reports. | Despite Pujols' hope of returning this year, the Angels have decided to protect their investment and shut the 33-year-old down for the remainder of the 2013 campaign. Pujols just recently shed his walking boot, and he will now have plenty of time to gear up for 2014. |
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| Aug 16 2013 | Pujols (foot) was out of his walking boot Friday, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols declined to have surgery on his left foot earlier this season, attempting instead to get back on the field in 2013. Friday was a step towards that goal, as he was without a walking boot for the first time since the beginning of August. |
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| Aug 9 2013 | Pujols (foot) denied recent accusations of PED use from former Cardinal Jack Clark during a statement Friday and said he will be taking legal action against Clark and his employer, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols called Clark's accusations irresponsible and reckless in a statement released Friday. Unless the accusations lead to something resembling an investigation of Pujols from MLB, there is little reason to be concerned about his status -- beyond the health of his foot -- at the present time. |
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| Aug 1 2013 | Pujols (foot) will forego surgery on his left foot and believes he can return to the field this season, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | Pujols will still be in a walking boot for the next three weeks and could need a couple more weeks to rehab thereafter, making it likely that he'd be only available for the last two weeks in a best-case scenario. The uncertainty surrounding his recovery timetable probably makes it most prudent to let him sit on the waiver wire in most formats for now, but if it becomes apparent that he's progressing well from injury, he could be a nice addition for the fantasy playoffs. Pujols was actually hitting his stride at the plate before suffering the partial tear in his foot, batting .297 with four home runs and 15 RBI in July. |
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| Jul 28 2013 | Pujols (foot) could miss the rest of the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | A report from Yahoo! Sports claims Pujols has been told he's likely out for the remainder of the season, but the team has only said that the 33-year-old will miss "a significant amount of time." Surgery is still on the table for Pujols, who is said to have a partial tear in his left plantar fascia, though nothing's set in stone at the moment. It's a pretty devastating blow to the Angels' hopes of making a run at a wild card spot, though the team had already fallen below the Mariners in the AL West. |
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| Jul 28 2013 | Pujols (foot) will likely miss the remainder of the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. | The Angels are already 8.5 games out of the final wild card spot in the American League, and it sounds like the team will not rush its $254 million man back this season. One shred of good news in all this is that Pujols is not expected to need surgery, but his plantar fascia is torn and he will likely opt to take his recovery slow, with an eye toward being 100 percent for the 2014 campaign. |
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| Jul 28 2013 | Pujols (foot) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday and will miss several weeks, the Los Angeles Times reports. | This was the expected outcome after Pujols was diagnosed with a tear of his left plantar fascia following Saturday's MRI. He's been hampered by the foot issue all season, but the Angels hope any sort of treatment he receives can put an end to those woes. However, the injury puts his season in jeopardy and almost certainly ends his bid to reach 30 homers for the 13th consecutive season. |
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| Jul 27 2013 | Pujols has returned to Anaheim to have his left foot examined, after aggravating the region Friday in Oakland, and will be held out for some time, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols' only hit Friday came in the ninth inning, when he drove in two runs on a single. Collin Cowgill promptly entered as a pinch runner, before a Josh Hamilton strikeout completed the Angels' loss to the Athletics. Pujols presumably injured himself on the single, as his previous at-bats resulted in two flyouts, one groundout, and a strikeout. The extent of the injury is not yet known, but a lengthy stint on the DL seems likely at the moment. |
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| Jul 27 2013 | Pujols is undergoing an MRI on his left foot Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reports. | A cortisone injection will be on the docket, if his previously-injured Achilles tendon is not torn. In any case, a significant stay on the DL seems to be near for the 33-year-old. His status should be known in the near future. |
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| Jul 27 2013 | Pujols is out of the Angels' lineup Saturday at the Athletics. | Pujols will miss just his third game of the season, though his production would lead one to believe a DL stint of some sort befell the aging slugger. Despite a .258 average on the year, his splits in July look closer to normal -- .297/.358/.473 with four homers and 15 RBI in 74 at-bats -- which could ultimately help salvage his second campaign with the Angels. Nevertheless, in his stead, Josh Hamilton will slide into the DH role, while Collin Cowgill takes over right field. |
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| Jul 24 2013 | Pujols went 1-for-3 Wednesday afternoon against the Twins, knocking in the only run of the game. | Pujols still isn't in his St. Louis Cardinals form, but is hitting well this month. The first baseman has 11 RBI this month and now has 60 on the season to go along with 17 home runs. |
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| Jul 20 2013 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run against the A's on Friday. | Nagged by a series of minor injuries this season,. Pujols hasn't put up his usual totals and remains on-pace for a fourth straight season of decline. His .252 average is the lowest it's been in his career and it looks as if he'll also hit fewer than 30 home runs for the very first time. The breakdown isn't all that surprising, given the torrid pace as which he's hit in years past, so you may want to think about shopping him around if you're in contention for this year and see what kind of a haul he might bring. |
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| Jul 10 2013 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run against the Cubs on Tuesday while playing first base. | Pujols has now manned first base twice in three days and over his last five games has slashed .350/.381/.500 which are much closer to actual Pujols numbers. Its possible that his foot/leg ailments are subsiding allowing him to play to his capabilities, and if so he could be in for a huge second half. In addition the all-star break will provide a very welcoming 4 day rest that will surely give Pujols time to treat his ailments. |
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| Jul 5 2013 | Pujols could opt for surgery on his left foot during the offseason, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols has been bothered by plantar fasciitis on the bottom of his foot all season, starting 52 of 83 games at designated hitter, including the last 11. The foot issue could have some influence on his substandard numbers this season, and an offseason procedure might at least allow Pujols to bat and field without discomfort going forward. Even if Pujols recovers from the plantar fasciitis with or without a surgical procedure, suffice to say that the Angels are probably feeling a little buyer's remorse after signing Pujols to a 10-year, $254 million contract prior to last season. |
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| Jun 27 2013 | Pujols is 3-for-22 (.136) over his last five games and has played first base only four times in June. | It has been obvious that his beaten-up legs are affecting his play, but despite that, Pujols has refused to take the prolonged rest of a DL trip. However, it isn't all bad news, as Pujols is sporting a .252 BABIP, a far cry from his career .306. The power flashes say that the Pujols of old is still there, and with a little bit of rest and a turn of luck, we could see that Pujols much more consistently. |
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| Jun 22 2013 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run against the Pirates on Friday. | Attach his name to another momentous event in baseball history as Pujols became the first major leaguer to hit a home run off the highly-touted Gerrit Cole. Pujols is batting just .265 with 13 home runs this season and while he's off-pace for his usual numbers, he's still on-track for close to 30 home runs and 100 RBI despite fending off an array of injuries. |
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| Jun 18 2013 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners. | After a sluggish start, Pujols has begun to wake up in June, as he's hitting .333/.391/.567 for the month. He's now up to 12 home runs and 44 RBI on the season. |
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| Jun 17 2013 | Pujols went 4-for-5 with a double, a run, and an RBI in Monday's 11-3 win over the Mariners. | Fantasy owners should still be a bit worried about Pujols' lingering knee injury, but at least he has his batting average up to .266 after accumulating 12 hits in his last 23 at-bats. Even with injury concerns, Pujols figures to improve upon his .266/.334/.449 batting line going forward, so long as he is able to play. Mark Trumbo has been starting at first base while Pujols has been limited to DH duties. |
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| Jun 14 2013 | Pujols (knee) is in the lineup Friday against the Yankees. | Pujols showed little mobility in running the bases during his most recent game Wednesday, but it appears Thursday's off day was enough for him to draw back into the lineup. In any case, he's slotting in at DH as the Angels the look to limit the strain on the knee as much as possible. |
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| Jun 12 2013 | Pujols appeared to aggravate his right knee injury during Wednesday's game in Baltimore. | Pujols clubbed a two-run homer in the seventh inning but proceeded to round the bases at a snail's pace, with pain apparent on his face. Because he is the Angels' DH on Wednesday, his status will be updated further when more information is available. |
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| Jun 12 2013 | Pujols finished Wednesday's game with a double in the ninth inning, showing that his limp around the bases in the seventh was a temporary concern. Overall, he went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer. | After belting the long ball, Pujols rounded the bases quite slowly, with pain clearly on his face. However, he later came to the plate in the final frame and promptly crushed a prototypical double. Knee and foot issues figure to hover over his 2013 campaign on a near daily basis, meaning his health should be monitored closely as the season wears on. |
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| Jun 10 2013 | Pujols will DH once again Monday against the Orioles Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Pujols has been dealing with plantar fasciitis all season long and most recently a knee issue. It has been a struggle for him offensively this year as he sports a .241/.313/.422 slash line. As he continues to be unavailable defensively, he has played first base one time in June, it is hard to not see a DL stint in his future. |
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| Jun 8 2013 | Pujols (knee/foot) is in the Angels' lineup Saturday at Boston. | Pujols is dealing with pain in both is knee and foot on a near daily basis, which he will continue to endure. Over the last four games, he's batting .250 (4-for-16) with one home run, four RBI, and one runs scored, though the long ball was his first since May 23, a span of 42 at-bats. |
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| Jun 5 2013 | Pujols is still dealing with pain in both his knee and foot, mlb.com reports. "It's like somebody's sticking a knife and putting a lighter at the same time," Pujols said in regard to his foot. "This game is tough when you're 100 percent; imagine when you're in pain. But I don't want to put that as an excuse, whether my numbers are there or not." | It sounds like the pain is up and down on a daily basis, and although Pujols homered Tuesday night, he still doesn't look like the player we are all used to seeing. His plan is to keep toughing it out, but it wouldn't be surprising if a trip to the disabled list is necessary at some point. |
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| Jun 4 2013 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's win over the Cubs. | The home run came at a pivotal point in the contest, providing what would prove to be the game-winning runs in the eighth inning. Pujols now has nine home runs and 35 RBI on the season. |
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| May 31 2013 | Pujols is not in the Angels' lineup Friday against the Astros, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Houston is starting a lefty in Dallas Keuchel on Friday, and with Pujols batting just .188 on the year against southpaws, it seems like a decent time to get the 33-year-old a rest. Brendan Harris will man first base while Howie Kendrick bats third in his stead, but look for Pujols to be back in there Saturday. |
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| May 27 2013 | Pujols had a fine day at the dish Monday night, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI. | Pujols hasn't been the Albert Pujols we knew and loved since coming to the Angels. Despite his weak .254 batting average, Pujols' power numbers aren't disappointing. The first baseman has 31 RBI and 19 extra base hits. There's nothing preventing Pujols from improving his numbers as the season drags on. |
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| May 23 2013 | Pujols launched a solo home run in Thursday's 5-4 win at Kansas City. | It was Pujols' only hit of the game, and eighth homer of the season. He's not putting up the numbers that we're used to seeing, but he has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games with three long balls and nine RBI over that span. |
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| May 16 2013 | Pujols hit a two-run homer in Thursday's loss to the White Sox. | It has been a struggle so far this year for Pujols, but he's showing signs of life with a modest four-game hitting streak and a home run in two of his last three. |
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| May 15 2013 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, his first in 10 games, against the Royals on Tuesday. | While Pujols has now hit safely in six of his last seven games, he's still only batting .242 on the season and the power is far from where it used to be. His six home runs have come in just four games this season and it would appear that his surgically repaired knee is affecting his ability to hit with power consistently. He should still be productive, relative to other first basemen, but with four straight years of declining numbers and a probable fifth on the way, it's probably a good time to start shopping him before you're the one left without a chair when the music stops. |
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| May 12 2013 | Pujols is back at first base Sunday against the White Sox, MLB.com reports. | Pujols served as the Angels' DH the previous four games after reporting that his knee was bothering him, but it appears he's now over that issue. In addition, Pujols has been relegated to DH duty by plantar fasciitis already this season, but he's continued to plow through, playing in 36 of 37 games. |
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| May 8 2013 | Pujols said his right knee has been bothering him lately, so he'll see duty at DH on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Issues with Pujols' surgically-repaired knee have been recurring throughout the season for Pujols, but he's managed to remain a fixture in the everyday lineup. He continues to exhibit a good batting eye at the plate despite his dimished slugging numbers, but he'll likely remain a non-factor on the base paths the rest of the season. |
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| May 7 2013 | Pujols returned from a sore foot to play in Tuesday's game against the Astros. He went 0-for-3 at the plate, with two strikeouts and a walk. | Josh Hamilton's slump has earned most of the headlines, but Pujols hasn't exactly been tearing it up lately, either. Of course, Pujols is likely suffering from lousy batted ball luck, while Hamilton can't even hit the ball often enough to find out what his luck would be like. Pujols' foot may also be contributing to the slump, but it's hard to be too worried when he has a 18:16 K/BB ratio and 19.8 percent line drive rate. He should rebound just fine, so long as the foot doesn't get any worse. |
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| May 5 2013 | Pujols is not in the Angels' lineup Sunday against Baltimore. | With Josh Hamilton back in the fold Sunday, Pujols will earn a rare day of rest. Despite three homers over the past six games, Pujols is batting just .237 in 118 at-bats, so perhaps a day off will help him get back on track. |
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| May 5 2013 | Pujols sat out Sunday to rest his sore foot, the Angels' official site reports. "With Albert, we just wanted to take a day to regroup, use tomorrow and see where he is Tuesday," Angels' manager Mike Scioscia said. | The Angels accelerated their treatment of Pujols' foot Saturday night, trying to get him beyond just playing through the pain. Pujols has a remarkable history of playing through injuries and returning before expected, so that this has lingered speaks volumes of the nature of the injury. |
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| Apr 30 2013 | Pujols went 4-for-8 with two home runs, three runs, and three RBI in Monday's 19-inning loss to the Athletics. | Pujols carried the Angels' offense through the first nine frames, though even he was quiet once extra innings started. The huge game broke up a 3-for-31 stretch during which Pujols did not have a single extra-base hit. |
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| Apr 25 2013 | Pujols (foot) is back in the lineup at first base Thursday against the Mariners, the Angels TV broadcaster Victor Rojas reports. | A bout with plantar fasciitis had relegated Pujols to designated hitting duty for the previous seven games, so his return to the infield seems to suggest the foot issue has improved. Going forward, the Angels figure to alternate him between first base and DH to reduce the chances of the plantar fasciitis cropping up again. Either way, he should get the at-bats he needs to remain among the elite tier of first basemen. |
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| Apr 21 2013 | Pujols' foot is really bothering him, and he's limited to DH duty as a result, the LA Times reports. "I'm dying," Pujols said Sunday. "It's hurting real bad." The team hopes to have him play through his plantar fasciitis until he cannot tolerate the discomfort. | Pujols is swinging the bat really well, but he's having a very difficult time moving around - as witnessed by his game-ending ground out against the Twins earlier in the week, where he hit a rocket off the glove of third baseman Trevor Plouffe and yet was still out by a few steps after Pedro Florimon fielded the ricochet out of the air and threw across the diamond. |
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| Apr 20 2013 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over the Tigers. | Pujols has been disappointing in terms of counting statistics, but a .309/.426/.491 slash line shows that he's comfortable at the plate, which wasn't the case at this time last year. |
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| Apr 11 2013 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two runs in Wednesday's 11-5 loss to the A's. | Pujols is off to a fantastic start this year, with a .346/.514/.692 slash line through the first eight games. He has already drawn nine walks, and five of his nine hits have gone for extra bases, including two home runs. |
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| Apr 7 2013 | Pujols (heel) is serving as the Angels' DH again Sunday against the Rangers, the Los Angeles Times reports. | His absence from his usual spot at first base is a sign that he's still being bothered by plantar fasciitis. Even so, it hasn't seemed to affect his performance at the plate, especially after he hit two home runs Saturday. |
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| Apr 6 2013 | Pujols (heel) went 2-for-2 with a pair of home runs in Saturday's win over the Rangers. | He also drew three walks in the game. The change from first base to DH, due to his heel injury, seemed to have paid off well for the Angels as Pujols delivered his first home runs of the season. Expect a few more starts at DH for Pujols until he has fully recovered from his heel injury. |
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| Apr 5 2013 | Pujols (heel) went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in Friday's loss to the Rangers. | It sounds like he'll simply continue to play through the injury, but Pujols might be at something less than 100 percent in the short term. For now, he'll continue to play first base, but the Angels could move him into the DH spot to limit the wear and tear for him if the injury lingers. |
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| Apr 4 2013 | Pujols is playing through continual pain in his heel, the Angels' official site reports. "I'm limping a little bit, but I don't think it's because of my knee -- I think it's more because of my heel, that plantar fasciitis," said Pujols. "Running-wise, it's not as good as I want to, 100 percent, but it'll get there. I'm pretty happy with how I feel, how I'm running, how I'm moving, how I feel out there in the batter's box, which is something that last year was bothering me, big time." | Pujols got his first hit of the season Thursday, a double in the left field corner. He later scored on a play at the plate where he slid into catcher Ryan Hanigan, who had the plate blocked. He had a slight limp after the play. |
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| Apr 1 2013 | Pujols said that his right knee does not bother him while hitting, the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols was also able to play in the field and run the bases before the end of Cactus League play, so there should not be too much concern about his cautious rehab approach following offseason knee surgery. The healthy outlook helps Pujols' cause as he tries to avoid a fourth consecutive season of decline. A bounce back of some sort is quite possible and perhaps even expected, but a return to his peak numbers seems rather unlikely. |
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| Mar 30 2013 | Pujols is 16-for-45 with three homers, seven runs, and nine RBI this spring. | Fantasy owners will be glad to know that Pujols is having a strong spring, although it probably does not have much meaning, as he destroyed Cactus League pitching last year and still started the season with arguably the worst slump of his vaunted career. The more important development, or lack thereof, is that Pujols has not had any setbacks in his recovery from knee surgery. He should enter the year at 100 percent, or at least close to it. |
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| Mar 21 2013 | Pujols has dealt with plantar fasciitis throughout much of his career, the Angels' official website reports. "It's nothing that's going to keep me out of the lineup," Pujols said, "because I've played with it the whole season before." | Pujols doesn't seem all that bothered by the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and he is mostly focused on building up strength in the knee that required arthroscopic surgery in October. Even though neither issue looks particularly threatening, the normally durable Pujols undoubtedly carries some added injury risk this year. |
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| Mar 19 2013 | Pujols (knee) will start at first base Tuesday for the first time this spring, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | This is just confirmation, as he was expected to make the start. See how he responds defensively playing first base Tuesday, as it will certainly be a test for his surgically-repaired right knee. |
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| Mar 19 2013 | Pujols has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, the LA Times reports. | Pujols' surgically repaired right knee has improved significantly, but much to the chagrin of fantasy owners he is now dealing with another issue. The good news is that he declared himself ready to play Tuesday, and the plantar fasciitis seems to be more of a nagging issue than a threat to his Opening Day status. |
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| Mar 19 2013 | Pujols (knee) declared himself ready for Opening Day after playing first base in Tuesday's spring game, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports. | Pujols had been limited to DH duty prior to Tuesday, but he played five innings at first base without issue, and figures to play there primarily over the rest of the spring. Don't expect Pujols' knee injury to be an issue come Opening Day. |
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| Mar 17 2013 | Pujols (knee) is expected to make his spring debut at first base Tuesday, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | Pujols has been used as a designated hitter all spring as he recovers from right knee surgery, but he's been taking part in defensive drills for a while and is ready to reclaim his usual spot in the field. The Angels will likely rotate Pujols over to DH periodically to keep him fresh, but not often enough to cause him to lose first base-eligibility next season. |
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| Mar 14 2013 | Pujols ran the bases in a Cactus League game for the first time Wednesday, the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols didn't end up in any situations where he had to run hard, but it's clear that the Angels believe he's making progress, and he's been fantastic at the plate so far. Although Pujols is at least a week away from returning to the field, we wouldn't be too worried about his recovery, so the most important thing is that he doesn't suffer any kind of setback or aggravation. His fantasy owners should appreciate that the Angels seem to be easing him back into action. |
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| Mar 10 2013 | Pujols (knee) isn't expected to play the field for another few weeks, the Los Angeles Times reports. | While Pujols' limited mobility will force the Angels to use an inferior defender in Mark Trumbo at first base, Pujols serving as the designated hitter won't alter his standing in the fantasy game. He demonstrated why he remains among the game's elite hitters by smacking a mammoth home run against the Rockies on Saturday. |
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| Mar 9 2013 | Pujols (knee) hit a home run in his second game of the spring Saturday. | Pujols will DH for now and is expected to ease his way into playing time at first base. His bat is just fine, apparently. |
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| Mar 6 2013 | Pujols (knee) served as designated hitter and went 0-for-3 in his spring debut Tuesday. | Look for Pujols to ease his way back into some playing time at first base in the coming weeks. He should be healthy by the time the season begins, and he'll look to avoid a third consecutive slow start. |
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| Mar 5 2013 | Pujols (knee) is considered "well ahead of schedule" in his rehab process and will make his spring debut, starting at DH and batting third Tuesday, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. | It's worth noting that Pujols said he's sprinted but has yet to run the bases, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Barring any setbacks, Pujols is still expected to be fully ready for Opening Day. He remains among the top first basemen in fantasy. |
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| Mar 2 2013 | Pujols (knee) is still not sure when he'll run on the field but remains confident he'll be ready for Opening Day, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. When asked Friday how many spring training game he needs to be ready for Opening Day, he said, "None. As long as my body feels good, I'm ready to go." | Pujols has been running on a treadmill but is taking his recovery slowly. He indicated that if the season were to start tomorrow, he would be playing. |
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| Feb 26 2013 | Pujols (knee) will begin running on the field later this week, the Angels' official website reports. | Pujols is expected to make his Cactus League debut in Mid-March, although an earlier return hasn't been ruled out. While a setback is always possible, fantasy owners can take some comfort in knowing that Pujols is currently on track to be in the Angels' Opening Day lineup. |
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| Feb 20 2013 | Pujols (knee) is expected to make his Cactus League debut in mid-March, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols had minor knee surgery in October but should be ready for the Angels' Opening Day game in Cincinnati on April 1. Manager Mike Scioscia said previously that he would keep his regulars, of course including Pujols, out of Cactus League games until after March 1 which gives Pujols more time to rehab his knee. |
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| Feb 12 2013 | Pujols arrived to spring training with his knee feeling healthy but will ease himself back into defensive drills early on. | Manager Mike Scioscia said Pujols, nor any of his regulars, wouldn't play in Cactus League games until after Mar. 1, which should give Pujols a little additional time to test out his knee. He should be at full health when the season starts and will look to avoid the slow start that deflated his overall numbers in 2012. |
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| Feb 12 2013 | Pujols (knee) will bat third in the Angels' lineup this season. | Pujols hit third all of last season, and will continue to do so going forward. He couldn't ask for a better lineup around him, especially with Josh Hamilton batting fourth for protection. The knee injury Pujols is currently dealing with isn't expected to affect him for the regular season, but it will probably keep him out of the World Baseball Classic. |
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| Jan 29 2013 | Pujols will not play for the Dominican Republic in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, but hopes to be medically cleared for the second round, the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols underwent knee surgery in the offseason and though all indications are that he's healthy, it still represents some level of risk for the WBC Committee, who would be responsible for insuring the rest of Pujols' 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels. It's unclear if the committee would even reconsider adding Pujols to the Dominican Republic squad if it advances to the second round, scheduled for Mar. 12-16 in Miami. In the meantime, Pujols will report to spring training in February to have the Angels evaluate his rehab following the surgery. |
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| Jan 28 2013 | Pujols will not play for the Dominican Republic in this year's World Baseball Classic, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | The 33-year-old had his knee scoped in October, and it seems he just wants to play it safe and be healthy to start the season. |
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| Oct 18 2012 | Pujols had minor arthroscopic knee surgery last week in St. Louis, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | The procedure was described as a "cleanup" operation, and Pujols is already starting to work out again. This appears on its face that it won't affect his availability for the start of the 2013 season. |
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| Sep 28 2012 | Pujols will return to first base Friday against the Rangers, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols was the team's DH in three of their last four games, as he's reportedly still somewhat troubled by leg issues, but he'll be back in the field Friday. |
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| Sep 27 2012 | Pujols is still being slowed a bit by leg woes, CBS Sports reports. | Pujols isn't in danger of missing any time, especially with the Angels in the midst of a playoff race, as the leg problems are just side effects of a right calf strain he suffered in August. Pujols isn't moving as well as he normally would and he's started at DH in three of the past four games, but it hasn't affected his hitting significantly. Though his .438 slugging percentage in September is his lowest of any month save for his miserable April, Pujols still churned out two doubles in Thursday's loss to the Mariners. |
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| Sep 23 2012 | Pujols tallied three hits and two RBI in Sunday's 4-1 win over the White Sox. | The two-run double he hit put him over the century mark for RBI, giving him 101 on the season. His .286 batting average is lower than he would like, but he only finished with 99 RBI in his last season with the Cardinals, so he's improving in other categories. |
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| Sep 19 2012 | Pujols is starting at first base and batting third for the Angels on Wednesday, MLB.com reports. | Pujols was with his wife on Tuesday after she gave birth to their child over the weekend. After starting exclusively at DH since Aug. 21, Pujols finds himself back at first base, an indication that his hamstring woes are fully behind him. Now that he's completely healthy, it wouldn't be surprising if Pujols had an explosive final few weeks of the season. |
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| Sep 18 2012 | Pujols (personal) is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols is with his wife, who gave birth to their child Sunday. It's unknown how long Pujols will remain out of the lineup. Kendrys Morales will start at first base Tuesday. |
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| Sep 14 2012 | Pujols will return to first base Friday against the Royals, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Friday will mark the first time Pujols has been at first base since he returned from a hamstring injury Aug. 28. Pujols extended his streak of consecutive 30-homer seasons to 12 with a long ball Wednesday. |
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| Sep 12 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-4 and hit his 30th home run of the season during Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Oakland. | Pujols' solo shot in the ninth inning ended a 13-game home run drought, although he did have a hit in 11 of those games. Even if he can't play the field because of the balky hamstring, fantasy owners (and the Angels) will want Pujols in their lineups down the home stretch, and may have to accept that he's not quite at 100 percent. |
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| Sep 6 2012 | Pujols has served as the designated hitter in all nine games since returning from a hamstring injury. | As long as he's healthy enough to hit, fantasy owners won't care that the hamstring injury is preventing Pujols from playing first base. He's 13-of-39 with six doubles and a home run since returning to action, and has at least one hit in every game, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. |
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| Aug 29 2012 | Pujols will take on the Angels' DH role for the second consecutive game Wednesday versus Boston, the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols returned to lineup Tuesday after missing four games due to a hamstring injury and promptly went 2-for-4 with a homer. His hamstring is still somewhat of an issue, though, so he will delay his fielding duties for the time being. |
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| Aug 29 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run in his return to the lineup Tuesday, but his hamstring is still an issue, the Angels' official site reports. | If it were earlier in the season the Angels might give Pujols more time off, but as things currently stand they are 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race with 33 games left to play. Even if he's at less than 100 percent Pujols is a must-start, although the hamstring injury is worth keeping an eye on going forward. |
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| Aug 29 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run in his return to the lineup Tuesday, but his hamstring is still an issue, angels.mlb.com reports. | If it were earlier in the season the Angels might give Pujols more time off, but as things currently stand they are 4.5 games back in the wild card race with 33 games left to play. Even if he's at less than 100 percent Pujols is a must-start, although the hamstring injury is worth keeping an eye on going forward. |
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| Aug 28 2012 | Pujols, who has missed the last four games with a hamstring injury, is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, batting third. | The Angels were off Monday, so it looks like those who took a chance on the slugger could get rewarded with a full week of play. |
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| Aug 27 2012 | The Angels are targeting Tuesday for Pujols' (hamstring) return to the lineup, angels.mlb.com reports. | Pujols has already taken batting practice and even did some running Saturday, so this seems like a realistic target date. He's sat out the past five games, but may not have to miss another since the Angels have Monday off. |
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| Aug 25 2012 | Pujols (hamstring) will not play in Sunday's game against the Tigers, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. | The Angels are off Monday, so manager Mike Scioscia will hold Pujols out Sunday to give him two more full days of rest. Expect an update on Pujols' status prior to first pitch Tuesday. |
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| Aug 25 2012 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers, according to the Angels' official Twitter page. | Pujols wanted to play Saturday, but he will get at least one more day to rest his sore hamstring. Pujols remains day-to-day. |
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| Aug 24 2012 | Pujols (hamstring), who is out of Friday's lineup, says he's feeling better and hopes to play Saturday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. | Angels manager Mike Scioscia was non-committal, and said simply, "We're going to see." It wouldn't be much of a surprise if they gave the 32-year-old another day to rest up. |
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| Aug 24 2012 | Pujols (hamstring) is not in the lineup Friday, the Angels' official twitter account reports. | Pujols could return this weekend, but he'll sit Friday. Mark Trumbo is sliding over to first base with Pujols out of the lineup, while Vernon Wells mans left field. |
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| Aug 23 2012 | Pujols (calf) is not in the lineup Thursday, mlb.com's Alden Gonzalez reports. | This comes as no surprise. Angels fans and fantasy owners are waiting on the results of an MRI and hoping to hear good news. |
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| Aug 23 2012 | Pujols (calf) underwent an MRI Thursday and it revealed that he did not suffer any structural damage, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports. | This is the news that everyone expected, but it is still great to hear for Angels fans and fantasy owners alike. You can consider Pujols day-to-day. |
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| Aug 22 2012 | Pujols left Wednesday's game with an apparent hamstring injury, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports. | Pujols was reportedly limping on the basepaths after doubling in the top of the fourth inning, and Mark Trumbo was moved to first base and Vernon Wells came into left field for the bottom of the frame. Consider Pujols day-to-day for now, but an update on his condition will likely be given after the game. |
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| Aug 22 2012 | Pujols will undergo an MRI on the tight right calf that forced him from Wedneday's game, the Los Angeles Times reports. | The MRI is being called precautionary, but it's not a good sign he's undergoing an exam. He may need to miss a game or two at a minimum. |
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| Aug 22 2012 | Pujols was removed from Wednesday's game with right calf tightness, the Angels' official Twitter page reports. | Pujols' calf apparently tightened up after doubling in the fourth inning. At this point, the injury doesn't sound overly concerning, but it wouldn't be much of a shocker if the team held him out of Thursday's series finale against Boston. |
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| Aug 15 2012 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Indians, according to the Angels' official Twitter page. | The Angels did not provide a reason for Pujols' absence, but considering he has played in each game this month, it's likely he is just getting the night off. Mark Trumbo will get the start at first base in Pujols' place. |
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| Aug 3 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a double and a solo home run against the White Sox on Friday. | Pujols now has five straight multi-hit games with eight runs scored, five home runs and 11 RBI. He's picked up the pace lately and is looking more like the Pujols of old again. While his power and average might be a little down right now, he is well on his way to nearing his career averages in the other offensive categories. |
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| Aug 1 2012 | Pujols hit two home runs and drove in four runs during Wednesday's 11-10 loss to the Rangers. | Pujols hit two home runs for the second night in a row, and has six extra-base hits over his past three games. He posted a .330/.411/.660 batting line in July and is off to a fantastic start in August after Wednesday night's effort. |
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| Jul 31 2012 | Pujols went 2-5 by blasting two solos home runs against Derek Holland and the Rangers on Tuesday. | Pujols reached 20 home runs for the season with his two bombs Tuesday, putting him on pace to notch 100 RBIs and 30 homers despite his slow start to the season. |
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| Jul 27 2012 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI to help lead the Angels past the Rays 3-1 on Friday. | While it was Mike Trout who started the two-out rally in the third, it was Pujols' two-run double that gave the Angels the lead that they would not relinquish. Pujols is now batting .282 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI on the season and while he's on-pace for the worst statistical season of his career, things could have been a lot worse given the way the season started for him. |
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| Jul 27 2012 | Pujols (elbow) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, according to the Angels' official Twitter page. | Pujols sat out Wednesday's game with a sore elbow, but fortunately it appears a couple days off was all he needed to get healthy. As he usually does, Pujols will play first base and bat third Friday night. |
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| Jul 25 2012 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Angels television broadcaster Victor Rojas reports. | Pujols was reportedly dealing with a sore left foot last week, but he played through the pain. The 32-year-old hasn't been out of the lineup since way back on May 5, but he'll sit against right-hander Luke Hochevar. Torii Hunter will be the team's DH while Kendrys Morales mans first. |
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| Jul 25 2012 | X-Rays on Pujols' right elbow were negative, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | Pujols is not in Wednesday's lineup, but it appears the pitch that hit Pujols on Tuesday did minor damage. The Angels said earlier that Pujols is "questionable" for pinch-hit duty Wednesday, and he's still listed as day-to-day. |
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| Jul 25 2012 | Pujols is not in Wednesday's lineup due to an elbow injury he suffered Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. | Pujols apparently suffered the injury during Tuesday's loss to the Royals, and he underwent tests and treatment Wednesday morning to determine the extent of the injury. Consider Pujols day-to-day for now, and questionable to return for Friday's series opener against the Rays. |
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| Jul 21 2012 | Pujols (leg) went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored against Texas on Friday night. | Slowly but surely, he's pushing his numbers in the direction of what we've come to expect. Pujols is now hitting .281/.349/.490 for the season and the leg injury that limited his work in the field recently doesn't appear to be anything too serious. |
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| Jul 20 2012 | Pujols (leg) has been battling a sore left foot which led to starting at designated hitter on Thursday, the Angels team website reports. | Pujols limped around a few times on Thursday in the batter's box and running the bases. Manager Mike Scioscia said Pujols has dealt with this before. He also indicated he will not miss time in the lineup and be used at DH when it is bothering him. |
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| Jul 18 2012 | Pujols appeared to have injured his left leg in the fourth inning Thursday against Detroit, but remained in the game. He finished 1-for-3 with a homer and a walk -- both before the tag play at second base that shook him up. | After the game, manager Mike Scoscia said: "He's fouled a couple balls off of (his left foot), and he hit a base wrong in New York, so it bothers him from time to time. He just took a bad stride going down to second, and it bothered him a little. But our trainers have been checking him out and it isn't anything we are concerned about. Guys play nicked up all the time. He's fine." |
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| Jul 17 2012 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, a solo shot, and two RBI during the Angels' victory over the Tigers on Tuesday. | Pujols first two hits -- an RBI single in the first and the home run in the second -- started a deluge of seven runs in the first two frames, resulting in a 13-0 win. Pujols has four multi-hit outings in five games since the break, raising his splits in 2012 to .278/.344/.481. |
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| Jul 8 2012 | Angels manager Mike Scioscia insists there is "no physical issue" with Pujols, who will be the team's DH for the second consecutive day Sunday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. | Apparently the Angels' skipper just wants to get Pujols refreshed after "grinding" for so long. Now seems like as good a time as any with the All-Star break ahead. |
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| Jul 8 2012 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk in Sunday's win over the Orioles. | While his average has continued to recover, Pujols has just six home runs since May 30. The power could pick up in a hurry as it did in May, but he still has a lot of catching up to do if he is going to even approach any of his usual numbers. |
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| Jun 29 2012 | Pujols went 4-for-5 with three runs scored in Thursday's victory over the Blue Jays. | Pujols has reached base nine times and smacked four extra base hits over his last three games, and his OPS now sits at .793, the highest it has been since April 8. Expect his triple slash numbers to continue rising with the Angels offense clicking on all cylinders. |
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| Jun 26 2012 | Pujols hit his 12th home run as part of a 2-for-5, two-RBI game Tuesday against the Orioles. | Reports of Pujols's demise were premature. The future hall-of-famer was hitting .313/.398/.513 over his last 28 games entering Tuesday's game and has set a pace to make it to 30 home runs since getting started in May. |
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| Jun 9 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and four total RBI in the Angels' win over the Rockies on Saturday. | Pujols played a bit of third base in Friday's series opener in Denver, but he played a complete game at first Saturday with Kendrys Morales out of the lineup. The home run snapped an eight-game spell without one, but he now has nine over his last 125 at-bats. That rate of 13.8 at-bats between home runs is actually better than his career rate of 14.4. |
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| Jun 3 2012 | Pujols will play third base during the Angels' interleague series at the Rockies and Dodgers beginning June 8, the Los Angeles Times reports. | A combination of Mark Trumbo's proven ineptitude at third base and the absence of the designated hitter necessitate the move of Pujols to third base to get the Angels' best bats in the lineup. If Pujols starts at third in every game of the two aforementioned series, that would give him six starts at the hot corner on the year, which could make him eligible at third base depending on your league settings. |
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| May 29 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with his eighth homer of the season Tuesday against the Yankees. | The slow start seems to be in the past as Pujols may finally be starting to get comfortable. He is hitting .321 since May 15 and has six homers over that 14-game span. |
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| May 26 2012 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run against the Mariners on Friday. | Pujols now has a five-game hit streak working with three home runs and seven RBI. He still has a long way to go before his fantasy owners forgive him for such a poor start to the season, but this is definitely helping. |
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| May 26 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Mariners. | He also struck out twice in the game. After getting off to an enormously slow start at the plate, Pujols has found his old form over his last 10 games by belting five home runs to go along with nine RBI. His season batting average remains low, a meager .232, but expect to see his average continue to climb going into the month of June. |
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| May 23 2012 | Pujols homered for the third time in seven games in Tuesday's win over the A's. | Pujols isn't quite out of the woods yet with his season-opening slump, but he's moving in the right direction finally. Still, his overall line is a putrid .213/.254/.333. |
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| May 18 2012 | Pujols may get a few starts at third base during interleague play, the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin reports. | Pujols would move over to third base to allow the Angels to best take advantage of the offense of Kendrys Morales, who would start at first base in such scenarios. The strategy would primarily be deployed in games played in National League parks, where the Angels would be without Morales at DH. The situation bears watching, as Pujols' fantasy value could receive a nice bump if he gains eligibility at third base in some fantasy leagues, much like Miguel Cabrera did when the Tigers acquired Prince Fielder. |
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| May 17 2012 | Pujols hit a solo homer in Thursday's loss to the White Sox. | Pujols has just three homers this year, but he's gone deep in each of the last two games. Pujols has also hit safely in six straight games, so he's showing signs of life after a rough start to the year. |
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| May 16 2012 | Pujols hit his second home run of the year in Wednesday's win over the White Sox. | Pujols was just 1-for-4 but did knock in three runs with the homer. He now has a hit in four straight games and might finally be coming around. |
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| May 15 2012 | Pujols was 3-for-4 with two RBI in Tuesday's win over Oakland. | Two of the hits were infield hits and Pujols continues to pull the ball with abandon -- all of his hits were in the direction of the shortstop. Pujols is pulling over 70% of his balls in play according to FanGraphs; if he is to break out of his slump he needs to stop trying to pull everything and use all fields. |
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| May 7 2012 | Pujols went 1-for-4 and hit his first home run as an Angel in Sunday's victory over the Blue Jays. | Pujols finally put a one in the home run column after failing to do so over his first 110 at-bats with his new team. Despite the big fly, Pujols is still hitting just .196 for the season; however, his power has been known to come in bunches, so hopefully both his average and home run count rise quickly in the near future. |
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| May 6 2012 | Pujols is back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Angels broadcaster Victor Rojas reports. | After getting a day off Saturday for the first time this season, Pujols is back to try his luck against right-hander Drew Hutchison. We all know Pujols is struggling, but he'll look to begin turning things around against Hutchison, who is sporting a 6.61 ERA through his first three major-league starts. |
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| May 5 2012 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup Saturday, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. | Consider it a rare healthy day off for Pujols after 27 consecutive starts to begin the season. He should be available off the bench if needed, as the Angels are not indicating that an injury is in play here. |
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| May 1 2012 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's win over the Twins. | Pujols finished the month of April without a homer, a span of 92 at-bats. He had a longer homer drought last season, when he went through a 105 at-bat stretch without going yard. |
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| Apr 25 2012 | Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Rays. Pujols has now gone hitless in 19 straight at-bats and over his last five games, the longest stretch of his career. | Pujols has struggled mightily in his new home and extended his homerless streak to 24 games, dating back to season. The season is still young and Pujols remains an elite fantasy option. |
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| Apr 14 2012 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Yankees. | Pujols knocked in Howie Kendrick on a double to deep center field in the third inning, and looked comfortable at the plate. He is not off to a great start with the Angels, but does have a hit in four straight games. |
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| Apr 7 2012 | Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his Angels regular-season debut on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Obviously, expectations of Pujols were incredibly high, but there were no fireworks in this first game. He ripped a couple of hard foul balls, but never quite found his groove against the Royals' pitchers and came up empty on the night. A bit of a bummer for those who own him, but obviously nothing to worry about here. Pujols will get his knocks in and should produce year-end totals comparable to his career averages. |
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| Mar 9 2012 | Pujols went 0-for-2 with a walk Thursday during the team's Grapefruit League game against the Indians, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hit two groundouts to the shortstop. While he didn't bat .300 or drive in 100 runs last season, Pujols is still one of the game's elite players and should be one of the top five players off the board in fantasy drafts. |
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| Dec 8 2011 | Pujols' deal with the Angels officially is a 10-year, $254 million deal. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Angels are taking on a huge risk with the length of Pujols' deal, especially given that he will be 32 when the 2012 season begins. This also is a pretty strong indicator that the Angels don't expect to get much from Kendrys Morales again this year. |
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| Dec 6 2011 | Joe Strauss from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes that the threat of Pujols leaving the Cardinals is significant. This comes on the heels of a Jon Heyman tweet that the Marlins have offered him a 10-year deal. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Take these rumors with the appropriate metric ton of salt, particularly given that they're coming during the Winter Meetings, but it's worth noting that Strauss is usually the first to know with all things Cardinals. By no means is this anything close to a done deal yet, though. |
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| Dec 5 2011 | The Marlins met with Dan Lozano, Pujols' agent, on Monday, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Marlins aren't messing around these days and needless to say, adding Pujols to go along with newly-signed Jose Reyes, would change the face of the franchise. |
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| Nov 24 2011 | The Cardinals offered salary arbitration to Pujols, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will probably decline the offer. No matter what happens, he'll get a huge payday in the coming months. |
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| Nov 17 2011 | The Marlins have reportedly offered Pujols a nine-year, $225 million contract, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Yes, you read that correctly. The Marlins, of all teams, may have gone all-in for the biggest prize in this year's free agent market. Given that they're moving into a new stadium making a free agent splash makes sense, and a big contract from them could be more enticing than most given that Florida has no state income tax. It's still a staggering offer from a franchise that, until now, has been among the lowest spenders in baseball. |
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| Nov 13 2011 | Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria confirmed that the club has made an offer to Pujols, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The newly re-christened Miami Marlins could be big players in this year's free agent market, as they have made strong offers to Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle as well. Whether they actually land any of those big fish, or just get used by their agents to jack up their salaries, remains to be seen though. |
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| Oct 4 2011 | Pujols is still dealing with heel and ankle ailments, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will still play in Tuesday's Game 3 against the Phillies - it would take quite a bit to keep him out, especially with Matt Holliday already hurt. |
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| Oct 2 2011 | Pujols was removed from Saturday's game in the ninth inning with some discomfort in his left ankle, MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "His heel was barking," manager Tony La Russa said. "There was no reason at that point. We keep scoring and his [spot] comes up. I wish it wouldn't have, but his heel was barking, and he didn't want to run the bases in the ninth. He'll play tomorrow." Pujols said he originally got hurt when he rolled his ankle in Houston at the end of the regular season. |
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| Sep 21 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored Wednesday against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals first baseman is finishing the season on a tear, batting .427 and raising his batting average to over .300 for the first time all season. He will likely hit the 100 RBI mark, giving him a slash line of over 100/35/100/.300. |
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| Sep 9 2011 | Pujols was 3-for-5 with two runs batted in helping boost the Cardinals to a 4-3 win over Atlanta in 10 innings Friday night. His three hits included a game-tying, two-out, two-run single off Braves closer Craig Kimbrel to send the game into extra innings. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Don't look now, but Pujols is now hitting .298 on the season and has tallied 34 home runs and 87 runs batted in. You didn't really think one of the best hitters in the history of the game could be held down all season did you3F |
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| Sep 4 2011 | Pujols continued his hot hitting with another two hits and RBI on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is helping fantasy owners when it matters the most - during the pennant race - for those that sold on Pujols when he was struggling, we apologize, but you should have known better. He's hitting .322/.390/.645 with 16 home runs and 35 RBI in 46 games since the All-Star break. That's more like it. |
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| Sep 1 2011 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with a pair of homers and five RBI in Thursday's win at Milwaukee. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is hitting .292 with 34 homers, a far cry from the first two months of the season when he was batting well under .300 with just nine home runs. |
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| Aug 31 2011 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in the first inning Wednesday against the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His slow start has put him under the radar this season, and though many of his totals have been disappointing he still has 32 home runs, a testament to how high the expectations are for him. |
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| Aug 28 2011 | Pujols isn't in Sunday's starting lineup, B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With an off-day on Monday, Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa is sitting some of his regulars to get them extra rest. |
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| Aug 17 2011 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two intentional walks in the Cardinals' loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Even in a "down" and injured year, Pujols sits atop the NL home run board with 30 in 431 at-bats. It is worth noting he has only been intentionally walked eight times this year after averaging 38.7 over the last three seasons. |
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| Aug 15 2011 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the first inning in Sunday's win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The homer went 465 feet, the longest in new Busch Stadium history. In other news, Pujols is still good at baseball. |
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| Aug 11 2011 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with a homer and pair of RBI in Thursday's win over Milwaukee. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is hitting only .284 this season, but his power numbers are just fine with 28 homers and 72 RBI. |
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| Aug 3 2011 | Pujols (hand) is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, FSN's B.J. Rains reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There was a chance Pujols sat out Wednesday after being hit by a pitch in Tuesday's game, but apparently he will play through any lingering soreness. Make sure Pujols is in your lineup for Wednesday's action. |
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| Jul 29 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a run batted in as the Cardinals defeated Chicago 9-2 in St. Louis Friday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Notably, Pujols' second hit of the game, an RBI double in the eighth inning that put the game out of reach, was hit number 2,000 of his illustrious career. One of the best players in the game today, he's a long way from done. |
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| Jul 27 2011 | Pujols hit another home run Tuesday and now has six in his last 13 games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although the power has come back, Pujols is still not hitting like the Pujols of old. In 11 games since the All-Star break he may have a .630 slugging percentage, but he's hitting just .261 with one walk. |
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| Jul 21 2011 | Pujols is back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets, the Cards' official Twitter feed reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols entered Wednesday's game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. |
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| Jul 20 2011 | Pujols was given the day off Wednesday because manager Tony LaRussa didn't want him changing his swing going up against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals also gave Ryan Theriot and Yadier Molina the day off to help give them some rest from the heat wave that's sweating the nation. LaRussa plans on having all three regulars starting Thursday and through the weekend, so Wednesday's game was the best time to get them a day off. |
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| Jul 17 2011 | Pujols homered Friday against the Reds and was robbed of another homer by center fielder Chris Heisey. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was natural to worry whether Pujols would hit for power upon returning from the DL, but he's now homered in two of his last three games, going pretty far to dispel those concerns. |
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| Jul 9 2011 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and three RBI in the Cardinals' win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was by far Pujols' strongest stat line since returning from the DL earlier in the week. Those who were afraid he came back too soon from a fractured wrist can now use him as they normally would. Hopefully, "normal use" entails unequivocally starting him. |
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| Jul 7 2011 | Pujols went 0-for-3 with a walk in Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks. He's 1-for-9 since coming off the DL. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's way, way too soon to draw many conclusions about Pujols' post-DL status. In fact, two of his outs Wednesday against the Reds were hard hit balls, right at fielders. |
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| Jul 6 2011 | Pujols (wrist) is back in the starting lineup Wednesday, the Cards' official Twitter feed reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Interestingly enough, he didn't play after getting activated earlier than expected from the disabled list Tuesday, but it sounds like he's at or near 100 percent and should be used as you normally would going forward. |
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| Jul 5 2011 | Pujols (wrist) did not appear in Tuesday's win, but he will play Wednesday, Brian Stull of 101 ESPN reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His return should force Lance Berkman, who homered Tuesday, back to the outfield. |
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| Jul 4 2011 | Pujols (wrist) believes that he could be ready to return to the Cards' lineup as soon as Tuesday night, foxsportsmidwest.com reports. Pujols, who has been swinging a bat at full strength for about a week, took ground balls Monday. He is eligible to return from the disabled list Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's possible that the Cards will play it safe and not rush Pujols back, but either way, it sounds like his return will come sooner rather than later. "I'm pretty excited. I can't wait to be back on the field, whenever the time is," Pujols said Monday. I don't know when. Hopefully it can be tomorrow. If not, whenever the time comes." More should be know about how founded Pujol's optimism is after his scheduled checkup Tuesday morning. |
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| Jul 3 2011 | Pujols' fractured left wrist has shown "significant improvement" of late, and he should be able to return to the team immediately after the All-Star break, if not earlier, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A CT scan taken Friday indicated healing in Pujols' wrist, and if everything checks out when he is looked at again Monday, he is expected to be cleared for baseball activities right away. If that is indeed the case, he could be ready to go by the end of the week, but it would probably serve the Cardinals well to give him a few extra days of rest and activate him July 15. Still, after Pujols' recovery was initially expected to take 4-to-6 weeks, it looks like fantasy owners will be able to get him back in the lineup a bit sooner than expected. |
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| Jun 22 2011 | Pujols (wrist) has been placed on the DL, Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is simply worth noting for those in leagues where moves require a player's DL status to be official. It's already established that Pujols will miss four-to-six weeks with a small fracture in his left wrist. |
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| Jun 21 2011 | Pujols will miss four-to-six weeks with a small fracture in his left wrist, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols suffered the injury in Sunday's game. He also has a sore shoulder, so that will have time to heal, as well. Lance Berkman likely will man first base while Pujols is out. |
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| Jun 20 2011 | Pujols has an X-Ray and MRI on tap Monday to determine the severity of his left wrist injury, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The report also notes that Pujols has a sore shoulder as well, so for now consider the Cards' banged-up slugger day-to-day. |
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| Jun 16 2011 | Pujols will start at third base for the Cards on Wednesday night, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's his fourth start of the season at the hot corner and his fifth game played there after a late-game defensive switch sparked the Pujols at third possibility back on May 1. In many leagues, Wednesday's game should make him eligible for use at third base, but he's still far from gaining 2012 eligibility there since many leagues require 20 games the previous season. The usual shuffle is in place with Lance Berkman playing first and Jon Jay getting a start in left field, while Andrew Brown is in right. |
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| Jun 15 2011 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in the Cardinals' loss to the Nationals on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The home run helped the Cards jump on Yunesky Maya early. Pujols has a hit in all but two June contests, and he has more extra-base hits (10) than singles (four) in the month. He boasts a .426 OBP and .889 SLG through June's first 45 at-bats. |
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| Jun 6 2011 | Pujols hit the game-ending homer in Sunday's 3-2 10th inning win over the Cubs, his third in the last two games. Pujols hammered a 2-1 belt-high fastball from Rodrigo Lopez an estimated 446 feet to left for his 10th career game-ending homer, his fifth homer during a seven-game homestand and No. 13 for the season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols became the 11th major leaguer to hit game-ending homers in consecutive games, according to STATS LLC and the SABR HR Log. Albert Belle was the last to accomplish the feat, pulling it off for Cleveland against Toronto on Aug. 30-31, 1995. The only other St. Louis player to do it was Hall of Famer Stan Musial in August 1948. Pujols is on a tear and in 2012 should become the highest paid player in MLB history. |
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| Jun 5 2011 | Pujols hit his ninth career game-ending home run in Saturday's win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Cubs elected to pitch to Pujols (even though the bases were empty) and it backfired badly. He also had a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the game. His batting average on the season now stands at .275 to go along with 12 home runs and 37 RBI. |
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| May 31 2011 | Pujols is making his third start of the season at third base for the Cards on Tuesday night, the team's official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Lance Berkman is playing first base while Jon Jay is getting the start in right field. In terms of defense and protecting Berkman's knees, this alignment looks to be one that the Cards are comfortable with at least occasionally. In many leagues, Pujols is closing in on gaining third-base eligibility. |
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| May 30 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a homer and a steal during the Cardinals' loss Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In the midst of the worst season of his career, Pujols now has nine homers and four steals, and the window to buy him low is closing fast. |
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| May 29 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with two RBI in Friday's blowout win over the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was Pujols' first multi-RBI game since May 11. He's hitting just .265 for the year and his owners continue to just sit and wait for the eventual breakout. Hard to believe it won't come, but the longer he sits in these offensive droughts, the harder it is to expect the Pujols we've all grown to love. |
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| May 18 2011 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a double in the Cardinals' win over the Phillies on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He shifted back to first base for this one after a one-game sojourn to third. He grounded into his NL-leading 13th double play in the win, and the double was his first extra-base hit in 28 at-bats. |
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| May 17 2011 | Pujols is starting at third base for the Cards on Monday night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's actually the result of a trickle-down effect that is leaving the Cards shy of options to play second base. With Pujols moving to the hot corner, Lance Berkman is starting at first while Nick Punto plays second and Allen Craig moves from the keystone to right field. After Monday, Pujols will have two games played at the hot corner this season. |
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| May 16 2011 | The Cardinals believe that Pujols (bruised wrist) will be able to play Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: If Pujols' wrist gets worse overnight, of course he'll have x-rays Monday. "We'll see how it feels," Pujols said. "It's going to take more than this to pull me down." |
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| May 11 2011 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with two RBI on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His batting average continues to climb as the concern from his fantasy owners decreases. He will be a stud just like he always is. |
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| May 2 2011 | Thanks to injuries to David Freese (hand) and Nick Punto (hamstring) Pujols played an inning at third base Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: No, Pujols isn't going back to his old position as the Cardinals have a number of in-house options available while Freese is on the shelf with a broken hand. However, we thought those of you who play in leagues that only require one game of eligibility would appreciate knowing that you can now put Pujols at third base for the first time in nearly a decade. |
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| Apr 27 2011 | Pujols (hamstring) is back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros, according to the Cardinals' official Twitter page. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols did not start Tuesday's game because of the injury, but he did enter as a pinch-hitter later in the contest. It does not appear this will be a long-term issue for Pujols, who should immediately be back in your fantasy lineup if you removed him Tuesday. |
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| Apr 26 2011 | Pujols (hamstring) appeared as a pinch-hitter Tuesday and played two innings at first base. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He was intentionally walked in his only at-bat, so we can not ascertain if his recent hamstring injury will affect his performance at the plate. He will likely return to the Cards' starting lineup in the next day or two. |
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| Apr 25 2011 | The injury Pujols suffered Sunday night was described by a club spokesman as a "very mild" hamstring injury, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Expect Pujols to take it easy on Monday's off day and be back in the lineup Tuesday. |
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| Apr 24 2011 | Pujols left Sunday night's game against the Reds with mild tightness in his right hamstring, according to MLB Network Radio. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cards were up at the time, and the report said it is initially not believed to be anything serious. St. Louis is off Monday, so there's a chance the slugger won't miss any time. |
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| Apr 23 2011 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He is now hitting .250 on the season with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 17 runs. Even though his batting average is quite a bit lower than it normally has been in his career, it's still early in the season and there is no reason to believe he won't get it up past .300 like he has done every season in his career. |
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| Apr 16 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-5 on Friday night with two home runs, three RBI and a pair of runs scored as the Cardinals pummeled the Dodgers 11-2. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a very disappointing start to the season, Pujols has returned to his regular form. The two home runs give him four on the year and he has now hit safely in his last five games. He's back, folks. Enjoy the contract-year ride. |
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| Apr 14 2011 | Pujols homered off of Hiroki Kuroda during Thursday's game against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols muscled a tough pitch down the left field line for his second home run of the season. Pujols is off to a slow start, although he's hit safely in four straight games. |
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| Apr 13 2011 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored in a shellacking of the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He now has six hits in his last three games. After a slow start, the perennial fantasy stud seems to have found his swing. Good times will roll for his fantasy owners. |
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| Apr 12 2011 | Pujols went 3-for-5 on Tuesday in a losing cause against Arizona. The hits "raised" his batting average to .200. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Maybe this effort is the light at the end of the tunnel for one of the game's best hitters to finally snap out of an early season funk. |
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| Apr 1 2011 | Pujols was hitless in five at-bats in Thursday's loss, hitting into three double plays in the process. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: If you're heading into a draft this weekend, his price may have dropped a buck in the eyes of some, but that shouldn't deter you: he'll still be the best player in the game this year. |
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| Mar 23 2011 | Pujols is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mets, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His foot was stepped on during Monday's game, but manager Tony La Russa did not indicate that Pujols' absence was due to that incident. Most of the Cards' regulars are getting a day off Wednesday, so Pujols should be back Thursday. |
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| Feb 16 2011 | Pujols and the Cardinals have stopped talking and will not meet a noon Wednesday deadline for an agreement on a contract extension, ESPN.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Sources say the two sides have not exchanged contract proposals in about four days and there will be no late negotiations. The monetary value of the deal is the reported hang-up, as the Cardinals' current offer would not put Pujols in the top five in average annual salary. Pujols has said that he will not discuss a contract during the season because he does not want to have any distractions, but this is a cloud that will probably be hanging over the head of the Cardinals all year long. |
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| Feb 14 2011 | Pujols and the Cardinals agreed to push back the deadline for a long-term contract to Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Cardinal great Stan Musial is being honored at the White House Tuesday, so the two sides decided to give each other another day to come to terms. This news does not necessarily change Pujols' contract situation one way or the other, but it does give the two sides an extra day to come to an agreement before Pujols and the Cardinals begin preparing for the season. |
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| Feb 13 2011 | Pujols has rejected a contract proposal by the Cardinals, reports USA Today. He is expected to announce the termination of extension talks Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is seeking a 10-year contract, but reports have suggested the Cardinals' offer falls quite short. At this point, he is almost certain to hit free agency next winter. Cardinals' manager Tony LaRussa admitted that this could be a great distraction for the team, but added, "We won't allow it to be." |
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| Feb 11 2011 | With just five days to go until Pujols reports to spring training, he and the Cardinals do not appear to be close to coming to an agreement on a contract extension beyond 2011, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The entirety of Cardinal Nation is holding its breath, as Pujols' stated position is not to negotiate during the season (or preseason). Once he shows up in Florida, he'll be heading down the path that leads to free agency in November. That doesn't mean the Cardinals won't be able to sign him then, but it certainly gives them less leverage if they wait that long. Pujols, of course, will be excellent this year regardless of the situation, but it could be stressful for him and his teammates throughout the year. |
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| Oct 6 2010 | The Cardinals announced Wednesday that they have picked up the 2011 team option on Pujols' contract, the team's official Twitter page reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It probably did not take the Cardinals too long to decide on the option. Pujols hit .318 with 42 home runs and 118 RBI this season for the Cardinals. He will again be an early first-rounder in next year's drafts. |
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| Oct 2 2010 | Pujols is not in Saturday's lineup, reports the Cardinals official site. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In all likelihood, Pujols will start in the Cardinals' season finale on Sunday. |
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| Sep 30 2010 | Pujols is back in the lineup for Thursday's game, according to the Cardinals' official site. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols skipped Wednesday's game, one of his few days off of the entire season (four total). |
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| Sep 29 2010 | Pujols is not in the Cards' lineup against the Pirates on Wednesday, the team's official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: No injury is being reported here, so we should see No. 5 back on the field -- perhaps as a pinch-hitter on Wednesday afternoon. |
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| Sep 26 2010 | Pujols hit his NL leading 42 homer in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols leads the NL in homers, RBI with 116 and is 4th in batting hitting .311, Sunday's win stopped Cincinnati from clinching the NL Central. |
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| Sep 26 2010 | Manager Tony La Russa is considering giving Pujols (elbow) some time off in the last week of the season, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals will be mathematically eliminated from the postseason any day now, so it makes sense to give their star a day off so he doesnt do any permanent damage to his sore left elbow. Pujols may have other ideas, so don't expect him to sit out more than one game in the season's last week. |
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| Sep 23 2010 | Pujols hit two home runs on Thursday against the Pirates, going 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols reached the 40-homer plateau for the sixth time in his career with the effort. When a .306 batting average with 40 home runs could be considered an off year, you know why he's consistently drafted at the top of fantasy drafts. |
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| Sep 16 2010 | Pujols (elbow) hit an RBI double in Thursday's win over San Diego. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols missed Tuesday's game, but has started each of the last two contests. |
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| Sep 14 2010 | Pujols (elbow) said he hopes to return to the Cardinals' lineup Wednesday, BJ Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He had a cortisone shot to combat tendinitis in his left elbow earlier in the day, and he should be considered day-to-day until he returns. Felipe Lopez played first Tuesday with Pujols out. |
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| Sep 11 2010 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the Cardinals' loss to the Braves Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The trio of runs driven in accounted for the entirety of the Cardinals' offense and pushed him over the 100-RBI threshold for the 10th straight season. |
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| Sep 8 2010 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double in Wednesday's loss to the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols entered the game having gone 15-for-27 with three home runs in his career against Chris Capuano and he left the game with even better numbers. The rest of the Cardinals were lost at the plate against Capuano, which hurt Pujols' productivity. |
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| Sep 7 2010 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the Cardinals' loss to the Brewers Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has gone a measly 5-for-34 (.147) in the 10 games since he twisted his ankle in the field, and manager Tony La Russa may give him an off day soon with the Cardinals falling further out of the NL Central race. Pujols' recent slide may also remove him from contention in the NL MVP race. |
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| Sep 6 2010 | Manager Tony La Russa will be monitoring Pujols closely down the stretch as the Cardinals don't have another scheduled day off the rest of the season, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has just one hit in his last 24 at-bats, and while he won't blame his recent ankle injury, his manager may disagree, claiming his star is "not 100 percent." Expect Pujols out there every day at least until the Cardinals are eliminated, but he could rest a little down the stretch when the season appears to be over. |
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| Aug 29 2010 | One day after twisting his ankle, Pujols was in the starting lineup Friday and hit his league-leading 35th home run of the season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is a gamer, and he wasn't going to let a little ankle injury stop him on his quest for a division crown. He remains in an exciting race with Joey Votto in all three triple crown categories. Pujols is first in home runs and RBI, while he trails Votto in batting average .327 to .320. Votto is in second in both home runs and RBI. The National League MVP hangs in the balance. |
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| Aug 28 2010 | Pujols twisted his ankle in the 11th inning of Thursday's game St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols stayed in the game, but he expected a bit of swelling on Friday. The Cardinals don't have many off-days the rest of the season, so they may elect to rest Pujols for a game or two just to be on the safe side. |
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| Aug 24 2010 | Pujols went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and a double Monday as the Cardinals defeated the Pirates, 10-2. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols continues to power his way through August, hitting nine home runs in the month already to go along with 20 RBI. The nine home runs are the most he has hit in any month this season and the 20 RBI tied his highest total for any month this season. |
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| Aug 20 2010 | Pujols homered for the fourth time in his last six games on Friday and now has eight homers in the month of August. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The game got Pujols' OPS back up over 1.000 on the season, a mark he's reached in seven of his nine seasons as a major leaguer. He's still pretty good. |
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| Aug 17 2010 | Pujols hit his 30th home run Sunday, extending his record of seasons of 30-plus home runs at the beginning of his career to 10. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although it's felt all season like Pujols was having an off-year, he might be in line for yet another MVP. |
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| Aug 2 2010 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a homer during the Cardinals' loss Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols, who has been dealing with a minor calf injury, has now homered in three straight games. A huge final two months could be in store. |
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| Jul 30 2010 | Pujols had to deal with some tightness in his left calf in Wednesday's win over the Mets, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols felt that tightness beginning in the 11th inning. The Cardinals have a quick turnaround to play the Mets again in a day game on Thursday - it wouldn't be a shock to see him get a game off. |
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| Jul 29 2010 | Pujols seemed to be hobbling at times Wednesday against the Mets, but that didn't stop him from getting the game-winning RBI single in the 13th inning. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He ended up going 3-for-7, the first three-hit game since July 15 for a guy who ordinarily racks them up with regularity. |
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| Jul 22 2010 | Pujols stole his 11th base Wednesday against the Phillies. He also went 1-for-3 with an RBI. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It seems like when Albert feels he needs it, he pulls out the running game; in every year but 2005, 2009 and 2010, he's attempted 10 or fewer steals, while in those three years, he's stolen a combined 47 bases. |
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| Jul 19 2010 | Pujols (ankle) returned to the starting lineup Monday and performed well as the Cardinals defeated the Phillies, 8-4. Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, a run scored and three RBI. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While this was only Pujols92 fourth home run in the month of July, he has been a run-scoring machine of late. He now has 14 runs scored in 15 games played in the month. |
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| Jul 18 2010 | Pujols is not in the lineup for Sunday's game, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols fouled a pitch off his foot in Saturday's contest, and manager Tony La Russa cited bruising as the reason he isn't in the lineup. Pujols will be available to pinch hit, but he has missed just one of the team's first 91 games, so he's deserving of a full day off. He will be back in the lineup on Monday. |
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| Jun 29 2010 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs and five RBI in the Cardinals' win over the Diamondbacks Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Both of Pujols' home runs came off Dontrelle Willis, and he is now tied with Mark Reynolds and Corey Hart for the NL lead at 18. |
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| Jun 15 2010 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in the Cardinals' win over the Mariners Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols may have not matched his three-hit output from Monday, but he did manage to hit his first home run since June 6. Pujols may seem like he's on a slow HR pace this season, but he still ranks second in that category among NL batters. |
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| Jun 14 2010 | Pujols went 3-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored and two walks Monday as the Cardinals defeated the Mariners, 9-3. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Surprisingly, this was only the third multi-hit game for Pujols in June and his first three-hit game since May 30. He raised his season batting average to .309 and now has 48 RBI. |
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| Jun 3 2010 | Pujols rewarded his owners with two stolen bases Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols also stole two bases on May 23, and he has five on the season. With all of the worries that something is wrong with Prince Albert, it's worth noting that his current pace is for 36 home runs, 117 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 96 runs, and a .318 batting average. It may not be vintage Pujols, but it's nothing to sneeze at. |
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| May 30 2010 | Pujols crushed three home runs in the Cardinals' victory over the Cubs on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had four RBI and also scored four times in the game. Pujols has nine RBI over his last four games - it's safe to say his slump is over. |
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| May 27 2010 | Pujols hit a solo home run and finished with three RBI in Thursday's win at San Diego. He hadn92t homered or recorded an RBI since May 14. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has been in a prolonged slump as he entered Thursday92s game with a line of .267/.406./.384 during the month of May. He92s not really the type of player one needs to worry about, however, because he can turn things around in a hurry. |
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| May 25 2010 | Pujols went 3-for-4 in the Cardinals' loss to the Padres Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All three of the hits were singles, but the three hits in four at-bats matched his production from his past 20 at-bats. He has just one extra-base hit (a double) over his past 10 games, but he stands a better chance of recovering his power once the Cards leave San Diego. |
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| May 22 2010 | Pujols is back in the No. 3 spot for Saturday's game against the Angels, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "The only hesitation is we're 4-1 with that configuration," manager Tony La Russa said. "But that is not our best lineup. We brought (Holliday) here to (protect Pujols). We need him. Everybody has their role, and his role is to be our cleanup hitter." It sounds like the experiment is done for good, although the only long-term difference for Pujols would have been a few less at-bats hitting fourth instead of third. |
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| May 17 2010 | Pujols was inserted into the cleanup spot for the first time since 2003 on Monday, and he responded by going 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in the Cardinals' win. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A lot may be made regarding the lineup switch, but really, it's not a big deal either way. Still, it was a productive game out of the cleanup spot for Pujols, who entered Monday with his lowest OBP and SLG since 2002. |
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| May 2 2010 | Pujols went 1-for-4 with three RBI in the Cardinals' victory over the Reds on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has six RBI over his last four games. His batting average stands at .340 for the season. |
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| Apr 29 2010 | Pujols is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Braves, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is not injured and is just getting the day off. Joe Mather will play first base in Pujols' place. Expect Pujols to be back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds. |
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| Apr 25 2010 | Pujols homered and had three hits in Sunday's win over the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is essentially another "dog bites man" update, though it's worth noting that Pujols is now 8-for-12 in his career off of Giants starter Matt Cain. |
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| Apr 12 2010 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBI in the win over Houston on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's already gone deep five times in the first seven games of the season, silencing any concerns about the back injury that limited him at times during spring training. Even more impressive about his line on Monday is that he had a couple of hits -- including the homer -- off of Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez after entering the game 5-for-31 in his career against him. |
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| Apr 5 2010 | Pujols went 4-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored in Monday's Opening Day win over the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols wasted no time getting started on a potential fourth NL MVP campaign. He needed just two swings in 2010 to record his first homer of the year, then went deep again a few innings later. |
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| Mar 29 2010 | Pujols (back) hit another home run Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: El Hombre has three home runs in five games since returning from a back injury. He looks set for the regular season. |
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| Mar 26 2010 | Pujols (back) was scratched from Friday's lineup, but manager Tony La Russa insists that nobody should panic, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: La Russa expects Pujols to play Saturday and Sunday and didn't want him to play five days in a row. Pujols, who hit a towering home run Thursday, said, "I'm fine...I'm pretty excited the way I feel." The injection he received on Monday has reportedly taken the inflammation away: "I feel way better. Look at the way I'm stinging the ball." |
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| Mar 24 2010 | Pujols, who received an injection Monday to combat recurring stiffness and discomfort in his lower back, is in the Cardinals' lineup and playing first base Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: At this point, both manager Tony La Russa and GM John Mozeliak feel as though Pujols' back issue does not appear like something that will linger into the regular season. We'll let you know if that assessment changes however. |
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| Mar 23 2010 | Pujols' back has improved since he received an anti-inflammatory injection, but the Cards will await Wednesday's evaluation to determine how soon he will return to the lineup, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: GM John Mozeliak calls Pujols "day to day." So far, this doesn't look like a huge deal and the team thinks that the combo of Monday92s injection and a back-strengthening workout program should take care of the muscle stiffness in Pujols' lower back. |
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| Mar 22 2010 | Pujols (back) had an MRI and an injection to relieve the tightness in his back on Monday, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 93He received an MRI today and then an injection to put him over the hump, make him feel better,94 Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. 93He92s day to day. We92ll see how he feels on Wednesday.94 Mozeliak also said that he doesn't believe the injury will be chronic throughout the season, but this is a situation worth close monitoring in the coming days. The Cards are off on Tuesday and it's expected that Pujols will be out for a few days. |
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| Mar 13 2010 | Pujols (back) returned to the Cardinals' lineup Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He went 2-for-2 with a double in his return despite not practicing or playing for the previous five days. Have no qualms while selecting him with one of your draft's first picks. |
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| Mar 10 2010 | Pujols (back) will sit out at least a couple more games, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "It's not sore, it's weak." Pujols said. He was a late scratch Wednesday, and so far this shouldn't be much of a concern, but it's worth keeping an eye on. |
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| Mar 9 2010 | Pujols (back) won't be back into the lineup until Wednesday at the earliest, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has stiffness in his lower back and visited a chiropractor to make an adjustment. This sounds like a minor issue right now, and El Hombre is itching to get back into action. On the plus side, Pujols has stated that his surgically-repaired elbow isn't bothering him at all, and as a result, he's been able to work in the batting cages more this spring than in springs past. |
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| Mar 8 2010 | Pujols will be held out of Monday's spring training game due to back discomfort, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had his back examined by a chiropractor, who found no serious issues. He could play on Tuesday against the Twins, but he does not "want to push it if it92s going to set me back." Pujols is known for his ability to play through injuries, but keep in mind that it's still fairly early in spring training. Don't expect him back on the field until his back pain is gone. |
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| Mar 5 2010 | Pujols went 0-for-2 with an RBI against the Mets on Friday afternoon. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: If the Cards were concerned about his elbow, he wouldn't be playing in meaningless games this early in spring training. Pujols is the consensus No. 1 pick coming off the board again this season and there are absolutely no signs that the he's slowing down anytime soon. |
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| Feb 21 2010 | Pujols (elbow) said Sunday that Dr. James Andrews and Dr. George Paletta gave him a 95 percent chance of avoiding Tommy John surgery, MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has been dealing with elbow problems since 2003, and has had surgery each of the last two offseasons, including surgery to remove bone spurs back in October. "I think we played it the right way," Pujols said on Sunday. "Both of the doctors have experience. Dr. Paletta had the experience with Chris Carpenter, what he's done with his elbow. A year before, they had to [transpose my] ulnar nerve. He felt that, let's do that, and maybe the year after that we'll remove the bone spur. It was good news, it's 95 percent healed. It's good news, Dr. Andrews telling me, 'Probably, you will never have to worry about the Tommy John.' That's good news. I feel great, and I can see the difference." Pujols sounds like he has more confidence in his elbow than he has heading into the last two seasons, so you should select him at the top of your draft without worry. |
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| Oct 21 2009 | Pujols will undergo surgery Wednesday to have five bone spurs removed from his right elbow, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Speculation that Pujols would eventually need to undergo surgery on his elbow has been prevalent since prior to the 2008 season. This surgery won't be as severe as the Tommy John procedure that doctors had previously been considering. Noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews and Cardinals' team doctor George Paletta will perform the procedure on Wednesday. Fortunately, Pujols is expected to be fully recovered by the time 2010 spring training begins. Pujols' surgery should put an end to the concern that has existed among fantasy owners since 2008 that he would need to be shut-down during the season to have work done on his elbow. |
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| Oct 16 2009 | Pujols will have a checkup on his surgically repaired elbow next week, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols described the exam as a routine follow-up to see how the elbow held up to the rigors of a full season. |
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| Sep 26 2009 | Pujols pulled up with a limp after an eighth-inning single Friday against the Rockies. However, he stayed in the game and said afterward that it was simply a cramp. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols gave everyone a brief scare, but it doesn't look like he's in danger of missing any time. |
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| Sep 11 2009 | Pujols hit two more home runs Wednesday, giving him 47 on the season and five in his last six games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is in the top two in the National League in home runs, RBI, runs, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage and walks. He's had the MVP award wrapped up for months, but he's not resting on his laurels. |
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| Sep 6 2009 | Pujols did not start against the Pirates Saturday, but he hit a pinch-hit game-winning home run in the 10th inning | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Tony La Russa may opt to rest Pujols down the stretch with the Cards boasting a healthy lead over the second-place Cubs. He now has three home runs and seven RBI in 17 September at-bats, so the season has not taken much of a toll on him. |
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| Aug 29 2009 | Pujols hit a walk-off home-run on Friday against the Nationals, his 41st homer of the season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A unanimous vote for NL MVP seems likely at this point. This guy is pretty good at baseball. |
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| Aug 24 2009 | Pujols hit his league-leading 40th home run in Sunday's 5-2 win over San Diego. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has 106 RBI and a .317 average. He trails Prince Fielder by four in the major-league lead in RBI. |
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| Aug 23 2009 | Pujols' slump continued Friday as he struck out for the third game in a row. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A slump to Pujols is different from a slump to others, but El Hombre has really been struggling lately. Friday's single was his only hit in his last 15 at-bats. |
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| Aug 11 2009 | Pujols went 1-for-3 with a walk and stolen base in Monday's 4-1 win over Cincinnati. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The stolen base was Pujols' 11th of the season, but first since July 1. |
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| Aug 9 2009 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a three-run double in the Cardinals' win over the Pirates Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols became the first MLBer to reach 100 RBI this season, and it marked his ninth consecutive 100-RBI season. He has more extra-base hits through 110 games (65) than strikeouts (43). |
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| Aug 6 2009 | Pujols broke out of his slump in a big way Tuesday, hitting two home runs, including a 10th-inning grand slam. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Strangely, Pujols hasn't hit well with Matt Holliday protecting him. In the first 10 games of the Matt Holliday era, Pujols was just 8-for-40 with no homers and two RBI. After Tuesday's barrage - which included five RBI, three runs, four hits and a walk - El Hombre's numbers are back to respectability. |
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| Jul 30 2009 | Pujols went 3-for-7 with a double and the game-winning RBI in the Cardinals' extra-inning game against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals' acquisition of Matt Holliday has not paid off immediate dividends for Pujols' stats, who had one RBI and zero extra-base hits since Holliday's arrival July 24. |
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| Jul 24 2009 | Pujols is not listed in the Cards' lineup for Thursday's game against the Nationals, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: An FYI for those in daily leagues. As a result, Mark DeRosa is penciled in as the starter at first base Thursday. |
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| Jul 23 2009 | Pujols, who will face Roy Oswalt in Wednesday's game, is 23-for-73 (.315) with five homers and a .956 OPS against the pitcher over his career, the Houston Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pretty impressive numbers against an average pitcher, let alone a star like Oswalt. Pujols already has a grand slam against the Astros' hurler this season -- he'll look to add to those totals tonight. |
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| Jul 19 2009 | Pujols hit two more home runs Friday, giving him a league-leading 34. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a first half for the ages, Pujols picked up right where he left off in his first game back after the break. |
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| Jul 11 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's win over the Cubs. He scored three runs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' fifth-inning blast was his major-league leading 32nd of the year, and he added his first triple of the season for good measure. The Cubs intentionally walked him in his first at-bat. Perhaps they should have done that in his other trips to the plate as well. |
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| Jul 4 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with a grand slam, a double and five RBI in the Cardinals' win over the Reds Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was Pujols' fourth grand slam of the season and 10th of his career, both marks that tie him with Stan Musial for franchise records. The home run was also No. 350 in his career, making him the third youngest to reach that mark. "He beat us by himself," Reds manager Dusty Baker told the Cincinnati Enquierer. |
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| Jul 1 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with two home runs, a walk and three RBI during the Cardinals' loss Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is clearly the game's current best hitter, and it remains a mystery why he isn't pitched around more like Barry Bonds was. Pujols now has 30 homers and 77 RBI on the season. |
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| Jun 28 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-2 with a pair of homers, four RBI and two walks in Saturday's win over the Twins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He drove in more runs than the entire Twins offense on Saturday, while extending his impressive June home-run total to 12 in 88 at-bats. Pujols is widening the gap for the NL MVP award right now, but the Cards could bolster his chances even further with the acquisition of better lineup protection for him (Matt Holliday3F). |
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| Jun 22 2009 | Pujols went gonzo Sunday at Kansas City, going 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBI. He tied Stan Musial's team record of nine career grand slams with a bases-loaded blast in the fourth. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is now batting .329 with 26 homers and 68 RBI, both highs in the majors. At this rate, a third MVP could be awaiting Pujols at season's end. |
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| Jun 21 2009 | Pujols felt no ill effects Saturday from the ailments he experienced the night before, belting his league-leading 24th home run. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols left Friday's game with dehydration and a sore right hamstring. Neither factored into Saturday's game. |
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| Jun 19 2009 | Pujols was not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Tigers. It was only the second time this year that he was held out of the starting lineup. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Tony La Russa just wanted to give Pujols the night off: "It's a good day for him [to rest]," La Russa said. "He was sick last week, and we didn't give it to him. It's just a good time for it." Chris Duncan started in Pujols' place. |
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| Jun 14 2009 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in Saturday's win over the Indians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He hit both of the blasts off starter Tomo Ohka, boosting his season total to 22 in the process. Pujols' numbers haven't suffered this season even with mediocre lineup protection as Ryan Ludwick (healthy now) missed a lot of time and Troy Glaus has been on the shelf all season. |
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| Jun 13 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's loss to the Indians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has now hit homers in back-to-back games twice this month. He boosted his home run total to 20. |
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| Jun 6 2009 | Pujols homered for the second night in a row Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' version of a slump ended about a week ago, but since then he's put together a nice eight-game hitting streak. During that span he is 14-for-29 with four homers, nine RBI, and six runs. On the negative side, a 15-game streak of reaching base at least twice ended on Friday. |
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| Jun 3 2009 | Pujols, who suffered an ankle injury while awkwardly sliding on Monday, was in the lineup Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although it didn't look good, Pujols was feeling fine on Tuesday. The Cardinals - not to mention thousands of fantasy owners - dodged a bullet. |
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| May 30 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in the Cardinals' win over the Giants Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: One home run was the Cards' first run of the game (a ball that went just over the center field fence), and the other was their last run (over the left-center fence). Surprisingly, Pujols only had one home run in his past 15 games, or since May 12. He had been walked 16 times in those 15 games. |
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| May 23 2009 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and his seventh stolen base of the season in Saturday's win over the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery and Jose Reyes' recent calf injury, Pujols has quietly matched or outproduced Hanley Ramirez in every significant fantasy category this season and pushed his way to the top of the fantasy ranks. If the current level of thievery continues, Pujols should easily reach his previous career-high of 16 steals from the 2005 season. |
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| May 12 2009 | Pujols hit his 13th home run of the season in Tuesday's loss to the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols, who historically owns Zach Duke, accounted for the Cardinals' only run with his first inning long ball. After an off day on Monday, it appears that Pujols is fully recovered from his beaning last Thursday. |
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| May 9 2009 | Pujols (ribs) went 0-for-4 with an error in the Cards' loss to the Reds Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He complained of some pain in his ribs Friday, the result of a hit by pitch, and has gone hitless in his past 10 at-bats. At this point, it sounds like an injury curable by some relaxation, but we'll let you know if it turns out to be anything more serious. |
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| May 6 2009 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though he has dominated many others in his career, Pujols appears to enjoy when he is matched up against Zach Duke. He leads the NL with 11 home runs. |
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| May 2 2009 | Pujols is getting a day off Saturday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has been the one constant in the St. Louis lineup this year, but the day off had been scheduled for about a week. His leg is a little "ouchy," but it's not considered serious. Pujols owners who saw the lineup without him in it can come off the ledge. El Hombre is fine. |
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| Apr 25 2009 | Pujols' sole hit in the Cards' win over the Cubs Saturday was a 441-foot grand slam, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The slam was his second of the season. He has about a billion RBI in the past week (the number is actually closer to 11) and has elevated his batting average to .348. |
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| Apr 24 2009 | Pujols hit two home runs and stole a base Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It only took about two weeks, but Pujols is back to where he belongs: as the most valuable fantasy player in the league. He now has six home runs, two stolen bases, and he leads the league in RBI and runs scored. |
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| Apr 22 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a steal in the Cardinals' win over the Mets Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His steal total (one) is a third of his strikeout total (three) through 54 at-bats. Or you could add those numbers to get his home run total (four). Then multiply that by three to get his walk total (12). |
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| Apr 18 2009 | Pujols went hitless in four at-bats against the Cubs Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has gone hitless before this season, but has not gone 0-for-4 since September 16, 2008. Pujols' batting average falls to below .300 for the first time since Opening Day 2008, but it should be back over in the next few days. |
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| Apr 15 2009 | Pujols went 1-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and two RBI Wednesday against Arizona. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Just another productive day from Pujols, even without a multi-hit game. He even added a walk to the stat sheet. We don't expect anything less than an MVP-type season out of the slugging first baseman. |
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| Apr 11 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-4 against the Astros Saturday, but those two hits consisted of a grand slam and a three-run home run. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The seven RBI were one less than the NL-leading eight entering play Saturday. Pujols has five walks to one strikeout this young season. |
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| Apr 8 2009 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He crushed the long ball against Pirates starter Ian Snell in the third inning Tuesday. Unless he shows signs of dealing with more elbow trouble, Pujols should crank out another MVP-caliber season. |
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| Mar 9 2009 | Pujols was accidentally kicked in the head during a collision Sunday, but he will be fine, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The whereabouts of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci are unknown. More importantly, there's been no red-flags health-wise this spring for the NL's defending MVP. |
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| Feb 16 2009 | Pujols (elbow) has officially withdrawn himself from the World Baseball Classic, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He said he feels 100 percent healthy, but cited a conflict with his insurance company as the reason he will no be representing the Dominican Republic in the WBC. |
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| Feb 15 2009 | Pujols (elbow) won't likely play in the World Baseball Classic because of concerns about his elbow, and the WBC's unwillingness to insure him, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Given the importance of Pujols to the team and the nature of the procedure, this isn't a surprising result. "My main priority is here, to make sure that I'm ready for my season," Pujols said. "Obviously it's always good to represent the Dominican Republic. I've already done it once. I need to make sure everything goes the right way. I'm not going to go out there and play without insurance. I don't think that's a smart thing, myself coming from an injury. ... I need to make sure right here in the next couple weeks how my elbow reacts to training here every day. I train during the offseason and it's not the same as here in spring training." |
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| Jan 19 2009 | Pujols pronounced himself 100 percent healthy on Monday after having October surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "With my elbow, obviously, there's some scar tissue there," Pujols said. "I didn't do anything for two months as I was rehabbing. I don't feel any pain around my elbow. Everything is looking good." Given that he's not even expected to miss time at the start of spring training, Pujols looks like a very safe top-three pick in drafts this season. |
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| Oct 13 2008 | Pujols underwent surgery on his right elbow Monday, a procedure that included decompression and transposition of the ulnar nerve, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The surgery did not require reconstruction of the medial collateral ligament, and Pujols will begin his rehab this week. He is expected to fully recovered by spring training. |
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| Sep 28 2008 | Pujols will have an MRI on his elbow Monday to once again determine if he need ligament replacement surgery, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The chances are fairly slim that he'll need surgery, but Pujols has admitted to increased discomfort in recent weeks. Then again, he's been on fire from the plate during those weeks, and he stated that the pain was much greater at the end of 2007. He'll likely just rest during the offseason and be as good as ever in 2009. |
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| Sep 10 2008 | Albert Pujols got his 99th RBI with a groundout in the first inning against the Cubs on Wednesday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He has eight RBI in the last four games and needs one more to join Al Simmons and Ted Williams as the only players in major league history to get 100 RBIs in their first eight seasons. |
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| Sep 9 2008 | Although Pujols said yesterday he is leaning towards Tommy John surgery after the season, the Cardinals aren't sure he needs it, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although general manager John Mozeliak said "We are sensitive to Albert92s stated concerns, at no time would we ever ask Albert to consider anything other then what is best for his career and future health,94 the Cardinals want to re-evaluate Pujols at the end of the season. Pujols could blow out his elbow any time he puts mustard on a throw, but he's been instructed by management to play under control, and the Cards' may want Pujols to continue managing that risk without surgery. |
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| Sep 8 2008 | Pujols is leaning towards having Tommy John elbow surgery after the end of the season, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With the recovery time typically being six weeks, it's possible that he could go under the knife as soon as the Cards are eliminated from the playoffs. "The sooner that I get it done, the better it's going to be for me," Pujols told KSDK-TV, "because I'm going to heal quicker than if I wait two or three more years. It needs to be done." |
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| Sep 5 2008 | Pujols went 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in Friday's extra-innings loss to the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Friday's outing marks Pujol's 50th multi-hit game of the season. To go along with his major league-leading .360 average, Pujols is top-15 in hits, doubles, home runs and walks. Stud. |
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| Aug 23 2008 | Pujols went 3-for-3 with three RBI in a win over the Braves on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Friday's three-hit effort was Pujols' 42nd multi-hit game of the season. With a .353/.461/.618 line, preseason injury worries have long since vanished. Pujols is proving that he is one of the best hitters in the game. |
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| Aug 18 2008 | Pujols played through a sore right foot in Sunday's loss to the Reds, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols got hit by a pitch on his right foot in Saturday's win over the Reds. The Cards are off on Monday and have four off-days in the next 11 days, so they felt there was no need to rest him on Sunday. |
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| Aug 17 2008 | Pujols hit a pair of solo home runs Saturday night, giving him 26 this season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols went though a homerless drought through most of July with just one homer in a 22-game span. He's back to normal now, though, hitting eight home runs in his last 21 games. |
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| Aug 6 2008 | Pujols continued to hit the ball well going 4-for-4 with a grand slam in the Cardinals 9-6 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is defintately feeling the presence of teammate Ryan Ludwick hitting behind him in the order. Ludwick is forcing pitchers to throw the ball to Pujols who is mashing this year with his .352 batting average, 23 homers and 73 RBI. |
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| Jul 29 2008 | Pujols went 1-for-2 with two runs scored, three RBI and two walks during the Cardinals' win over the Braves on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is batting .353 on the season and is sporting a remarkable 35:67 K:BB ratio. |
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| Jul 26 2008 | Pujols came back with a vengeance on Saturday night against the Mets, going 5-for-8 with a homer, three RBI and three runs scored. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Coming off of a three strikeout night on Friday, Pujols must have pulled himself together in between games. Looks like this could be starting something. |
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| Jul 5 2008 | Pujols hit the 300th homer of his career to account for the Cardinals only run in Friday night's 2-1 loss to the Cubs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: At 28 years, 170 days, Pujols became the fifth-youngest player to reach 300 homers. It took him just eight seasons to achieve that milestone. Pujols had been in a 1-for-11 slump over his last three games. Still he's hitting .348 with 18 homers and 48 RBI. Pujols has never hit less then 32 homers or driven in 103 runs in a season. |
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| Jun 26 2008 | Pujols (calf) went 4-for-4 with an RBI in his return from the DL Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols DH'ed in his return, something he can continue to do this weekend in Kansas City as he eases back from a calf injury. Feel free to start him this weekend. |
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| Jun 25 2008 | After a strong workout Tuesday, Pujols (strained calf) appears ready to be activated from the DL when he becomes eligible Thursday, the St. Louis Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Fortunately for the Cardinals, they happen to be playing in an American League park this weekend, so Pujols could be the designated hitter over the next few games. |
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| Jun 22 2008 | Pujols (strained calf) has shown so much improvement that he could be ready to return when eligibile to be activated on Thursday, the St. Louis Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There were dire warnings that Pujols could be out until the All-Star break or longer, but he's always been a fast healer. |
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| Jun 18 2008 | Pujols (strained left calf) fielded some groundballs prior to the Cardinals' batting practice on Tuesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols remains on schedule to return sometime around the All-Star break. |
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| Jun 11 2008 | Pujols has been diagnosed with a strained calf (between Grades 1 and 2) and was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's expected to miss at least three weeks. Initially, there were concerns that he might be out for the year, but that doesn't appear to be a likely scenario now as the long end of his timetable would keep him out until the All-Star break. Chris Duncan will see extra playing time with Pujols on the shelf, while Troy Glaus is an option at first as well if the Cards elect to use Brendan Ryan at third base. |
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| Jun 11 2008 | Pujols left Tuesday's game in the bottom of the seventh inning with cramping in his left calf. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cards were holding onto a 6-2 lead at the time, but collapsed trying to sprint out of the batter's box. He had trouble putting any weight on his left leg after the injury. Pujols was 1-for-3 with a homer before being replaced by Joe Mather. |
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| Jun 6 2008 | Pujols (calf) is back in the starting lineup for Friday night's game against the Astros, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He was slightly concerned about air travel on Thursday night causing him to tighten up, but Pujols is ready to go Friday after homering in his only at-bat during Thursday's doubleheader. |
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| Jun 5 2008 | Pujols (calf) homered in his only at-bat as a pinch-hitter for Todd Wellemeyer in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Nats. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: No official word if he'd be able to start Game 2, but the answer is still likely no, as Pujols almost certainly would have been yanked for a pinch-runner if he hadn't gone deep since he didn't stay in the game to play defense. If nothing else, his presence as a pinch-hitter should serve as a pretty good indication that he'll be OK for this weekend's series against the Astros. Stay tuned. |
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| Jun 4 2008 | Pujols (calf) will not play against the Nationals on Wednesday night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: No word yet regarding his status beyond Wednesday night, so he's still considered "day-to-day". Troy Glaus will move across the diamond in place of Pujols on Wednesday, with Brendan Ryan starting at third base. |
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| Jun 3 2008 | Pujols left Tuesday night's game early with tightness in his left calf, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was removed for a pinch runner in the top of the fourth inning after being hit in the left shoulder by a Jesus Colome pitch. The game had just resumed following a nearly two-hour long rain delay, so Pujols' calf may have tightened up during the break. |
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| May 30 2008 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a two run homer to lead St Louis to a 5-4 win over Pittsburgh on Friday evening. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since May 23rd when Pujols said he was "traumatized" by hitting a line drive off San Diego pitcher, Chris Young's face he is hitting .545 (12-22) with three homers and six RBI. Everyone reacts to "trauma" in different ways Pujols seems to have taken it out on the baseball instead of being "gun-shy." |
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| May 23 2008 | Pujols was "traumatized" by the incident Wednesday in which he hit a line drive off Chris Young's face, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols also slid hard into Josh Bard during that fateful trip around the bases, giving the catcher a severely sprained ankle. Pujols, who didn't play the last two innings, was still visibly shaken hours after the game. While we don't expect there to be any long-term fantasy implications, stranger things have happened. He may be a little gun-shy during the next few weeks. |
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| May 17 2008 | Pujols was hitless in four trips to the plate Friday, ending a 14-game hitting streak. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: More impressively, it was the first game all season in which he didn't reach base at least once. The concerns about the elbow will be there all year, but it's hard to complain with a .347 batting average and league-best .492 on base percentage. |
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| May 12 2008 | Cardinals manager Tony La Russa plans to give Pujols the day off Monday against the Brewers, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has appeared in every St. Louis game this season, starting all but one of them. La Russa had said during spring that he planned to rest the slugger two-to-three days a month. Chris Duncan would start at first with Pujols on the bench. |
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| May 8 2008 | Pujols, who has been sporting a limp the last few days, will probably get a scheduled day off during the next week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' legs have been "barking" in recent weeks, but the limp was due to a bruised knee he suffered sliding into home plate Monday. The injuries fortunately haven't affected his hitting. He leads the majors in on base percentage and has reached base at least once in every game so far this season. |
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| Apr 24 2008 | Pujols reached base five times against Pittsburgh on Thursday -- walking twice, singling twice and finally getting hit by a pitch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Pirates must be happy to see Pujols move on after a quick two-game series. The Cardinals first baseman leads all opposing hitters with 20 home runs in the seven-plus year history of PNC Park. |
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| Apr 17 2008 | Pujols, despite some soreness from a Tuesday collision with Bill Hall, extended his hitting streak to eight games with a two-run double Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols compared the collision with Hall to "running and punching a hand into the wall." His wrist and shoulder were a little sore after the game, but it didn't prevent him from playing Wednesday. |
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| Apr 15 2008 | Pujols and Troy Glaus were both out of the starting lineup Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was a scheduled day off for both, though they each played the last two innings. |
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| Apr 11 2008 | Pujols hit his first two home runs of the year Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols and Houston starting pitcher Brandon Backe got into a heated exchange before the game, so Pujols might have had a little extra motivation. He's hitting .379/.526/.655 over his first nine games this season and is looking like the Pujols of old. |
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| Apr 4 2008 | Pujols suffered a deep laceration of his right middle finger during a slide Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It sounds worse than it is. Pujols stayed in the game and didn't require X-rays afterwards. |
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| Mar 21 2008 | Manager Tony La Russa has indicated that he'll want to rest Pujols (elbow) more this season, giving him two or three scheduled days off each month, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals have made noise about this before, and generally Pujols has resisted, but with all of the concerns about Pujols' elbow, he'll probably relent. |
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| Mar 13 2008 | Pujols (elbow) hit his fourth home run of the spring and claims he's "seeing the ball really well," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Seeing the ball has never been Pujols' problem, as he'd probably hit .300 without any elbows. He's been rested more than usual this spring, which could be all it takes to prevent him from having the drastic season-ending elbow surgery that's been hanging over him the last few months. Team doctors said Pujols is "completely asymptomatic," so as long as he doesn't overextend himself, he should be able to avoid the surgery. |
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| Mar 11 2008 | Pujols (elbow) was 0-for-4 Monday, but still leads the Cardinals with three home runs and six runs this spring. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Thanks to the threat of season-ending surgery on his elbow, Pujols has been dropping on draft boards all spring. The important thing to note is that the pain in his elbow doesn't seem to be affecting his hitting at all. He has a 1.375 OPS in 24 at-bats this spring and has only struck out once. |
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| Mar 5 2008 | The Cardinals' team physician, Dr. George Paletta, shed more light on Pujols' (elbow) status. He recommended that they continue on their current path of treating him while allowing him to play, until he absolutely needs surgery, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Once Pujols needs surgery, it probably won't just be a minor arthroscopic procedure, but rather a major reconstruction. Such a procedure would require at least eight months to rehab, which is why it really wasn't considered this offseason. If the Cards fall well off the pace by midseason this year, be aware that such a surgery might become an eventuality. |
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| Feb 21 2008 | The Cardinals are planning on giving Pujols (elbow) more rest both this spring and also during the regular season, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols maintains that the sprained ligament in his elbow is not a problem, but the Cardinals are wary of him needing season-ending surgery. He may get a few Sundays off during the season as a result, but so far this strategy shouldn't affect his fantasy value yet. It is a little disconcerting that this story won't go away however - the Cardinals are clearly concerned. |
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| Feb 17 2008 | The Cardinals are concerned about the status of Pujols' right elbow, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols elected not to have offseason surgery to fix a strained ligament, which has been bothering him since 2003. While the coaching and medical staffs are going to closely monitor his elbow, Pujols isn't planning to change any of his routines. The injury effects his throwing more than hitting, so unless it causes him to miss time this season it shouldn't have a huge impact on his numbers. |
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| Jan 24 2008 | Although Pujols' elbow continues to bother him, he did not opt for surgery in the offseason, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols cannot straighten out his right arm, and if he continues to have problems with the elbow he may have a stint or two on the DL this season. Something to keep in mind before you plunk down 50 bucks for him. |
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| Sep 26 2007 | Pujols was 2-for-3 with his 32nd home run and three runs scored in the Cardinals' 7-3 win over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was hit by a Seth McClung pitch in the eighth, which prompted an ejection of McClung and manager Ned Yost. Pujols stayed in the game and even singled in the ninth, so he should be fine. |
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| Sep 24 2007 | Pujols (calf) started at first base Monday against the Brewers, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols missed five straight starts, but managed to talk his way into the lineup Monday night. He needs one RBI to become the first player ever to record 100 in each of his first seven seasons. |
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| Sep 23 2007 | Pujols wants to play in the home finale Sunday, but he's still receiving extensive treatment on his calf, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hit a two-run single as a pinch hitter Saturday, and probably will not be able to appear in the field the rest of the way. |
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| Sep 15 2007 | Pujols ended along home run drought with a sixth inning homer on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It had been 75 at-bats since Pujols' last homer. While he's having a fine season, he has to be considered a disappointment to the owners counting on him down the stretch. |
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| Sep 2 2007 | Pujols was not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is getting a day off to rest and was replaced by Chris Duncan. |
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| Aug 23 2007 | Pujols is dealing with a hamstring injury, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was scared when the right side of his hamstring went numb after fouling off a pitch in his first at-bat Wednesday. He took some extra time to regroup before homering for the fifth straight game, in the process becoming the only player in major league history to start his career with seven straight 30-homer seasons. He protected the sore hamstring by settling for a single on a liner off the base of the left-field wall in the fourth. He was in the lineup and batting third Thursday but will remain cautious on the basepaths. |
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| Aug 22 2007 | Pujols hit a home run for the fifth straight game, carrying the Cardinals past the Marlins on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He has a home run in six of the past seven games. The only down side is all but Wednesday's have been solo shots. |
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| Aug 15 2007 | Pujols had three hits Tuesday, but continues to play through mild hamstring and elbow injuries, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has only missed one game this season, but his numbers are off from the high levels he set over the last six seasons. Still, a bad year from Pujols is better than a good year from nearly everyone else. He may rest here and there over the final six weeks of the season, but if the Cardinals can smell the pennant, he'll continue to be out there nearly every day. |
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| Aug 11 2007 | Pujols had fluid drained from his elbow last week, but it is not considered serious, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had two hits the night of the draining, so the elbow pain is not affecting him too much. The Cardinals may rest their star here and there the rest of the season, but he doesn't seem to want to rest until the season is over. |
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| Aug 10 2007 | Pujols is expected to have a day off this weekend, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols isn't injured, but has been sore for quite some time and this will keep him fresh. He's up to a .315 average with 24 homers and 74 RBI, so an occasional day to rest seems like a good strategy. Those in daily leagues, take note. We'll also note that Pujols really doesn't want a day off with the team having a regular off-day on Monday, so there's a small chance he could convince manager Tony La Russa to keep him in the lineup for the entire series. |
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| Aug 4 2007 | Pujols missed Saturday's game with a sore right elbow, but is expected to play Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He was available to pinch hit, so this doesn't sound serious. |
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| Jul 30 2007 | Pujols delivered a back-breaking three-run double in the eighth inning Sunday as the Cardinals beat the Brewers 9-5. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is really starting to heat up. Over the last four games, the first baseman has driven in 11 runs. |
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| Jul 14 2007 | Pujols homered for the second straight day on Saturday, going 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the loss to Philadelphia. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's gone deep 18 times this season -- well below his typical 40-plus homer pace -- and his .310 average is 20 points below his career mark. Still, he's healthy, and there's no reason you shouldn't expect his usual production going forward. |
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| Jul 6 2007 | Pujols has not hit a home run since June 14. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols came into June like a lion and went out like a lamb. His 19-game homerless streak is the longest of his career. He's hitting .344 since the streak began, so it's not like he's been useless. Pujols is not concerned, and attributes the power loss to being more selective behind the plate. "I'm not chasing balls out of the strike zone like I was chasing earlier," Pujols said. "I'm taking what they give me and letting the guys behind me drive me in." |
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| Jun 29 2007 | Pujols was to receive a routine day off Thursday, but the game was postponed due to rain. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals haven't had an off day since last Thursday and are scheduled to play the next 10 days, so it seemed like as good a time as any for Pujols to recharge his batteries. |
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| Jun 15 2007 | Pujols continued his hot hotting with a single and his 16th home run Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols looks like he wants to win Player of the Month in June. In 12 June games he's hitting .333 with seven home runs, 16 RBI, 12 runs and a 1.220 OPS. He had a shaky start this season, but he's now playing at a 41-113-.304 pace. |
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| Jun 9 2007 | Pujols homered in a losing effort on Friday night, hitting his 13th homer of the year. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a slow start and a rather lengthy power drought, Pujols has five homers in his last nine games. |
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| Jun 1 2007 | Pujols received a routine day off Thursday, appearing only as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After some early-season struggles, a recent hot streak put Pujols back where he belongs - atop the St. Louis leaderboard in most offensive categories. It's only a matter of time before he's up with the league leaders. |
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| May 30 2007 | Pujols pelted a three run blast off the RockiesE28099 Jason Hirsh Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols may be shaking off his slow start as he has two homers, five RBI, and seven runs in the last six games. |
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| May 24 2007 | Pujols had two more hits Wednesday against the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although Pujols has gotten off to a slow start, he seems to have picked things up recently. In his recent seven-game hitting streak, the slugger is 13-for-29. It was only a matter of time before he started playing up to his expectations again, and now the window to get him as a buy-low option is rapidly closing. |
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| May 18 2007 | Pujols provided the one gleam of hope in the Cardinals blowout loss to the Tigers on Friday, going 4-for-4 with a homer and a walk. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals are getting desperate for offense - even if Pujols were going strong they'd be struggling. Still, he's shown some signs of life at the plate on this road trip. |
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| May 15 2007 | Pujols showed signs of life Tuesday, going 2-for-5, with a double and two RBI. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It is just his second multihit game in his last 11. |
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| May 5 2007 | Pujols walked twice and hit a two-run double in Friday's 3-2 win over Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since starting the season 1-for-18, Pujols has been decidedly Pujols-like, hitting .333 and slugging .595 in 84 at bats. He now has 17 RBI and a .284 batting average on the season. |
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| May 3 2007 | Pujols went 3-for-4 in Wednesday's loss to the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: So Taguchi and Preston Wilson were the only other Cardinals to get hits on Wednesday afternoon, while Pujols extended his hitting streak to 11 games. During that streak Pujols has gone 17-for-41 (.415), but the Cardinals have struggled offensively as a team en route to a 4-7 mark. |
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| Apr 30 2007 | Sunday night's game between the Cubs and Pujols' Cardinals has been postponed following the tragic death of St. Louis pitcher Josh Hancock, the team's official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals are scheduled to return to action Monday against the Brewers. |
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| Apr 25 2007 | Pujols knee injury Tuesday was minor, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: According to manager Tony La Russa, Pujols' knee was "barking." However, Pujols confirmed after the game that there was no problem with his knee. He was taken out of the game as a precaution as it was already a blowout played in wet conditions. |
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| Apr 19 2007 | Pujols hit his fourth homer of the season on Wednesday night and went 3-for-5 to finally raise his batting average to .200 on the season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was also caught trying to steal home on a botched double-steal in extra-innings. |
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| Apr 17 2007 | Pujols broke out of his early season woes in a big way on Sunday, homering twice with five RBI in the Cardinals' romp over the Brewers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols figured to break out of it soon enough anyhow. This probably precludes most buy-low opportunities from potentially panicky owners. |
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| Apr 15 2007 | Pujols' poor start could be related to a sore oblique aggravated on Opening Night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols confirmed Saturday that he aggravated the oblique that hampered him last season. With only one home run in 34 at bats, Pujols is off to the worst start of his career. He'll surely come around soon, but if his side is bothering him, he at least has an excuse for the way he's hitting. |
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| Apr 10 2007 | Pujols broke out of his season-opening slump Sunday with a home run and single in five at bats. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had started the season with only one hit in his first 17 at bats, but hit the video room Saturday night after a poor showing against Roy Oswalt. |
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| Jan 14 2007 | The various injury woes (hamstring, oblique, back, feet) that plagued Pujols last season have dissipated, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Despite all of his injuries, Pujols still put up near-MVP caliber numbers. He remains at the top of our draft charts. |
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| Oct 17 2006 | Pujols' hamstring is seriously affecting his power and baserunning abilities, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Tony La Russa has even hinted that Scott Spiezio or Chris Duncan could replace Pujols at first base Tuesday. With the season on the line, expect Pujols to play through the pain, but don't expect the typical Pujols performance. |
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| Oct 16 2006 | Pujols has been nursing a right hamstring injury for several weeks and is under orders to run under control, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Tony La Russa said the injury also has affected Pujols' ability to drive the ball. Pujols is 4-for-14 in the NLCS with one double and no RBI. He's been bothered by hamstring problems in the past, but La Russa said this injury was "a little more serious" and one that will improve only with rest. |
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| Oct 3 2006 | Pujols might get a higher-than-usual amount of intentional walks against San Diego, Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With no one to protect Pujols, the strategy might make sense - the Cardinals aren't even sure who their #4 hitter is. Pujols led the league in intentional walks for the first time in his career. |
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| Sep 28 2006 | Pujols' career-high 47th home run was a dramatic three-run shot in the eighth to give the Cardinals a 4-2 victory Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is about as big a hit a player can have. When the MVP votes are counted, this season-saving homer could be what puts Pujols over the top. |
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| Sep 21 2006 | Despite a nasty collision with Prince Fielder on Tuesday, Pujols was back in the starting lineup Wednesday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The collision temporarily numbed his left arm and shoulder. Regardless of whether or not this injury lingers, expect Pujols to take off at least one day in the next week after the Cardinals wrap up the division title. |
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| Sep 17 2006 | Pujols had his fifth four-hit game of the season Saturday, with three singles and a double. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Thanks to his first-ever trip to the DL back in June, he'll finish under 185 hits for the first time in his career. On the other hand, he's just one home run and seven RBI away from career-highs in those categories. |
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| Sep 6 2006 | Thanks to a first-inning blast Tuesday, Pujols now has 18 home runs this season that have given the Cardinals a lead they never relinquished, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Willie Mays represents the gold standard with 19 such homers in 1962. If Pujols breaks the record and the mainstream press catches wind of it, he'd have a strong chance of edging out Ryan Howard and Carlos Beltran for the MVP. |
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| Sep 4 2006 | Pujols hit three home runs Sunday, driving in five in the process. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although it may have looked like his three home runs were to match the three hit by fellow MVP candidate Ryan Howard, the real reason was far more altruistic: it was Down Syndrome Awareness Day in St. Louis. Pujols, who has a daughter with Down Syndrome, promises heroics to his daughter and other young fans each year, and he seemingly always delivers. Just one more story to add to his growing legend. |
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| Aug 23 2006 | Pujols hit a pair of home runs and posted a career-high seven RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols smacked a three-run homer in the fourth inning and added a grand slam in the fifth. Pujols has gone deep 38 times this season, but had not recorded a multi-homer game since April. |
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| Aug 12 2006 | Pujols hit three doubles and a single on Friday, raising his batting average to .329. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has one home run in his last 60 at bats. He has nine doubles in that span however, so his power isn't completely gone. Obviously you always keep Pujols in your lineup, but this lack of home run power is something to keep an eye on. |
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| Aug 5 2006 | Pujols hit his first home run in 10 games Saturday, his 34th this season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He hadn't homered since since July 25. No need to worry about Pujols. |
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| Aug 1 2006 | An MRI of Pujols' elbow revealed no damage, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's safe to keep in your lineups for the rest of his career. |
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| Jul 31 2006 | Pujols (elbow) was held out of the starting lineup Sunday, but came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and finished at first base. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "I'm all right," Pujols said. "Can't I take a day off without it being a big deal3F" |
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| Jul 30 2006 | Pujols was scratched from the Cardinals' starting lineup Sunday because of a hyperextended right elbow, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though Pujols' elbow is sore and he is experiencing some swelling, St. Louis trainer Barry Weinberg said the injury was probably minor. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa added that Pujols was available to pinch hit Sunday, which seems to confirm Weinberg's optimistic stance. |
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| Jul 26 2006 | Pujols was given a day off on Wednesday against the Rockies, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "I've never been more positive that if there was a day off, this was the perfect day for him to be off," said manager Tony La Russa. "He was ready to play, but I just think it's a good day for him." |
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| Jul 25 2006 | Pujols hit a double Monday, giving him 16 on the year. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since the All-Star break, he is hitting .400 with six doubles and three home runs in 40 at bats. After a June in which he proved to be human, he seems to be picking up where he left off before his injury. |
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| Jul 19 2006 | Pujols, who limped into second on a double in the sixth and was removed the next inning on Monday, was back in the lineup Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Tony La Russa said "he definitely did a little something, but he said he was all right." |
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| Jul 15 2006 | Pujols hit a walk-off home run off Odalis Perez in the 14th inning Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The homer was his 30th of the season, tops in the National League. For his career he has 10 hits - including five home runs - in only 15 at bats against Perez. |
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| Jul 9 2006 | Pujols' 29th home run was the game-winner Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has hit .323 in 16 games since returning from a strained oblique last month, but he hasn't been able to keep up his unreasonable home run pace from earlier in the year. Still, four home runs and nine RBI in 65 at bats is pretty good for mere mortals. |
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| Jul 2 2006 | Pujols went 4-for-6 with an RBI in the Cardinals' 8-7 loss to the Royals on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols clearly carried his weight on Saturday. The Cardinals simply are reeling, along with the rest of the National League. |
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| Jun 27 2006 | Pujols went 1-for-4 in Sunday's loss to Detroit and went 6-for-16 with a home run in his first four games back from a strained oblique muscle. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is hitting like he didn't miss any time at all. |
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| Jun 23 2006 | Pujols went 4-for-4 with a homer, but it wasn92t enough as St Louis fell 10-6 to Detroit on Friday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He92s back - if you haven92t activated him what are you waiting for3F |
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| Jun 23 2006 | Pujols (oblique strain) went 0-for-4 on Thursday in his first game back from the disabled list. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was somewhat of a surprise that Pujols was activated for this game, but he appears to be okay moving forward. |
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| Jun 22 2006 | Manager Tony La Russa says Pujols (oblique strain) should be ready to come off the disabled list and play by Monday when the Cardinals open a three-game series at home against the Indians, reports the Associated Press. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "Sooner than that3F Maybe," La Russa said. Pujols went through another rigorous workout, including batting practice where he put on a power display and ran the bases, before the Cardinals played the White Sox on Wednesday. Pujols, who has been out since June 3 with a strained muscle on his right side, is still tied for the major league lead in homers with 25 and is second in RBI with 65. |
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| Jun 20 2006 | Pujols (oblique strain) swung in the batting cage and took ground balls at first base on Tuesday, the Cardinals' official website reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was unable to take batting practice on the field due to afternoon rain, but was able to run in the outfield. There is still no time frame on when Pujols will return. "He's worked hard," said manager Tony La Russa. "He's gone step by step. He's felt no pain. And I think he's going to continue to be smart, and he's going to be encouraged by everybody around him that's making the decision not to push it." |
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| Jun 18 2006 | Pujols expects to take batting practice before Sunday's game with Colorado. It has been only two weeks since he was placed on the DL with a right oblique strain. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Maybe he really is Superman. That said, be mindful that a number of players in the past have tried to come back earlier than expected from oblique strains, only to have setbacks. |
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| Jun 17 2006 | Pujols (oblique strain) plans to swing a bat before Tuesday, and is feeling almost no pain, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols had a nice fielding workout before Friday's game and is excited to play again, but the Cardinals probably won't rush him back. Still, it looks like the injury will keep him out only two more weeks. |
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| Jun 6 2006 | An MRI exam of Pujols92 strained muscle on his right side was inconclusive on Monday, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals had hoped the MRI would shed some light on when Pujols could play again. Instead there is still not a precise timetable as to when he will return. Advising team doctors have indicated to Manager Tony La Russa that a future MRI, perhaps in a few weeks, might be more helpful in determining the length of Pujols92 absence. |
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| Jun 5 2006 | Pujols (oblique strain) will have an MRI on Monday, ESPNews reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A timetable for Pujols' return should be more clear after the MRI. We'll monitor his status as fantasy owners and Cardinal fans are forced to continue employing the "wait-and-see" approach. |
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| Jun 4 2006 | As expected, Pujols (oblique strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols could be out several weeks, with some estimates saying he could miss as much as six weeks. What seems to be quite certain is that he'll miss more than just the 15 days he will spend on the DL. Manager Tony La Russa said, "I just don't think - listening to Dr. Paleta - that two weeks from now, Albert will be ready to go." |
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| Jun 3 2006 | Pujols left Saturday's game against the Cubs after the second inning with a right oblique strain. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols appeared hurt himself attempting to catch a foul ball in the top of the second inning. We'll monitor his status for more information, as he will be re-evaluated on Sunday. Typically, an oblique strain will keep a player out for about six weeks. |
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| May 29 2006 | Pujols hit his 25th homer of the year on Monda. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The three run shot in the bottom of the seventh turned out to be the game winner, after Roy Oswalt shut down the Cardinals for six innings. |
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| May 29 2006 | Pujols went deep for a major-league leading 24th time on Sunday in a 10-8 loss to San Diego. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His three-run shot in the fifth inning put the Cardinals up 6-2 before the Padres scored eight runs in the bottom of the inning. |
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| May 21 2006 | Pujols bashed his 22nd homer of the year on Sunday, and scored three runs. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After hitting 14 homers in April, Pujols has followed up with eight more long balls in May. Surprisingly, he's only hitting .281 this month, but it's doubtful his fantasy owners are complaining. |
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| May 18 2006 | Scott Spiezio replaced Pujols in the starting lineup Thursday, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols landed hard on his back when he slipped on the on-deck circle Tuesday night, however, manager Tony La Russa said the day off had nothing to do with the fall. "Just a day off," La Russa said. "I watch every day. Today's the day I think it makes sense." |
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| May 17 2006 | Pujols had a rough game Tuesday, fouling a ball off his shin in his first at bat, and slipping while chasing a seventh-inning pop up. He remained on the ground for several moments before finishing the game, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He was also hitless in four at bats and made an error. He wasn't hurt too badly, but in addition to all of his heroics and great numbers this year he's had a number of little injuries here and there. So far they haven't added up to anything meaningful. |
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| May 14 2006 | Pujols now has an eight-game hitting streak. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's hitting .419 during the streak with four home runs and 14 RBI. After a fantastic April, his May has been nearly as good. |
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| May 10 2006 | Pujols homered again in Wednesday's win over the Rockies, but his back remains an issue, the Cardinals' official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: "I got it checked [Tuesday]," he said. "It's bothering me. it's bothering me a lot. There's nothing you can do right now. It's either sit down for 15 days and let it heal or keep going with pain. And that's what I'm doing, pretty much, playing with pain out there." Pujols has shown a remarkable pain threshold in the past, most notably when he played through an elbow injury a couple of years ago. |
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| May 7 2006 | Pujols hit a two-run single on Sunday, bringing his major-league leading RBI total to 38. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He had a rough week hitting by Pujols' standards, going 5-for-25. He's batting .314 on the year with 16 homers and an OPS of 1.313. |
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| May 6 2006 | Pujols fouled a pitch off his ankle in the first inning Thursday. He was limping as he subsequently grounded out, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols was hitless in four at bats, and coupled with his back stiffness, is not at 100% right now. While Pujols at 65% is better than most of the league, it would not be surprising to see him sit down a game or two in the coming weeks. |
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| May 5 2006 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's win over the Marlins despite a a sore back and ankle. "I feel a little sore," he told the Associated Press. "There are some things I can't do playing defense. Hopefully it's getting better. I've played hurt before. I've just got to play smart and not push it." | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has struggled with a sore back the last week and fouled a pitch off his left ankle in Thrusday's game. Even these minor ailments can't stop his strong season at the plate. |
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| May 5 2006 | Pujols (back) returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday night and hit his 15th homer of the year in the Cards' loss to the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols will continue to play through the injury, which originally occurred a week ago. "He jarred his back, strained the back on that one slide into first," said head athletic trainer Barry Weinberg. "Hopefully in time it will get better. The only thing is, he keeps playing on it. He wants to play and he's capable of playing." |
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| May 4 2006 | Pujols' back has been really hurting him since sliding into first base on April 23, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals and Pujols aren't even sure that he'll be available to play Wednesday against Houston. "I've been taking treatment for the last week and obviously it's not getting better," Pujols said, "I thought I would have to call 911 to help me up so I could come down to the ballpark." While a stint on the DL is unlikely at this point, it's not out of the question. |
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| May 3 2006 | Pujols was not in the starting lineup for Tuesday afternoon's game against the Reds with a sore lower back, the Cardinals' television broadcast reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is expected to be back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Astros. |
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| May 1 2006 | Washington pitched around Pujols, walking him four times in five at-bats, but still lost, 9-2. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols fantasy owners had to be a bit surprised to see the Cards put up a nine-spot without the big first baseman getting in on the fun, but Jim Edmonds protected Pujols by driving in three runs. |
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| Apr 29 2006 | Pujols set a major league record Saturday with his 14th homer in April. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was an important homer, too -- a tie-breaking solo shot in the eighth inning. Pujols had been tied with Ken Griffey Jr. (1997) and Luis Gonzalez (2001) for the most home runs in April at 13. |
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| Apr 27 2006 | Pujols drove in the game-winning run Wednesday with a ninth-inning single off Roberto Hernandez. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is having an April for the ages. He leads the National League in runs, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage. He's erased all doubts over who is the best player in the league. |
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| Apr 24 2006 | Pujols hit his major league-leading 12th home run on Monday in the Cardinals' 7-2 victory over the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols continues to reward his owners daily, and has to make all the people who took him ahead of Alex Rodriguez in their drafts very happy right now. |
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| Apr 23 2006 | Pujols went hitless against Greg Maddux and the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's reached base in each of his first 18 games except when Maddux is the opposing pitcher. He's failed to get on base in each of the 40-year-old's two starts against the Cardinals. |
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| Apr 21 2006 | Pujols did NOT hit a home run on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: At this point, not hitting a home run qualifies as news. Pujols walked three times. He scored on a ninth inning double by Jim Edmonds, but the first two walks were wasted when Edmonds grounded into two double plays. The Cardinals are hoping that Edmonds can make pitchers pay for walking Pujols. |
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| Apr 20 2006 | With Pujols locked in, there seems to be more and more rumbling that he may soon be getting "The Barry Bonds Treatment", the Cardinals official site reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds might have something to say about the strategy, but the fact is, Pujols is hitting everything in sight right now. In his last four games he has six home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI. Pujols already has 14 walks this season. |
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| Apr 18 2006 | Pujols homered in his fourth straight game on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It was the only hit of the game for Pujols, who is batting .362 with 10 homers and 20 RBI. |
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| Apr 17 2006 | Pujols homered in his first at-bat Monday, tying a major league record by hitting a home run in four consecutive at-bats. The two run blast proved to be the only runs the Cardinals needed as they defeated the Pirates 2-1. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After Chris Shelton homered earlier in the day, Pujols had to follow suit to keep up with the new found slugger. "I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping my team win and hopefully do some damage out there," Pujols said. "And that's what I did today." |
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| Apr 17 2006 | Pujols went 3-for-4 with three homers and five RBI against the Reds Sunday, homering off of three different Cincinnati pitchers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' sweet swing makes it irrelevant as to who's throwing the ball when the All-Star first baseman is hot. He takes his show on the road to Pittsburgh next, a team he's hit 25 homers in just 301 at-bats against. |
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| Apr 6 2006 | Not only did Pujols already hit his third homer of the year on Wednesday night, but he had his first stolen base as well. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Last year Pujols quietly had 16 stolen bases (in 18 attempts), so those owners who expected some bags from them are already off to a good start. |
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| Apr 3 2006 | Pujols appears in midseason form, as he homered twice in the Cardinals' 13-5 waxing of the Phillies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Expect to see plenty more days like this from Pujols all year. |
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| Mar 31 2006 | Pujols hit three home runs Friday against the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: These home runs weren't against minor leaguers struggling to make the team. The first was off Pedro Martinez and the last two were off Victor Zambrano. Pujols owners probably can't wait until Monday. |
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| Mar 25 2006 | Pujols had two RBIs Saturday, a single and a sacrifice fly. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has been playing exceptionally well as of late, but he should already be atop of all fantasy league drafts. |
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| Mar 24 2006 | Pujols went 1-3 with two RBIs in Wednesday's game against St. Louis. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols looks geared up for a run at defending his NL MVP title. |
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| Jul 28 2005 | Pujols swiped two bags, his 10th and 11th on the season (without being caught), in a 2-1 loss to the Padres Wednesday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: As if he didn't have enough value already, the big first baseman is on pace for 18 thefts this year. |
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| Jul 23 2005 | Pujols (shoulder) was able to pinch hit in Saturday's game against the Cubs. He drew an intentional walk and is now in the game at first base. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While it's still a small concern, Pujols' injury now sounds like more of a day-to-day thing than anything serious. For now, Pujols owners will breathe a sigh of relief. |
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| Jul 20 2005 | Pujols hit a two-run shot, his third homer in as many games, in a 4-2 win over Milwaukee Wednesday night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' bomb gives him 26 on the year to go with 77 RBI. He is hitting .348 since the break. |
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| Jul 19 2005 | Pujols was a triple shy of the cycle Monday, hitting a homer, single, and double on his way to a four run/two RBI night. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Fat Albert has done it again. Do you really expect any less3F |
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| Jul 6 2005 | Pujols went hitless in three trips Wednesday against Arizona, snapping his 17-game hitting streak. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All you frustrated Pujols owners, feel free to bench him now. Although if you do, you might need to get your head examined as well. |
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| Jul 3 2005 | Pujols had two hits in Sunday's game against Colorado, pushing his hitting streak to 15 games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is hitting a robust .411 (23-for-56) during the streak, which is one game off his season best, the Associated Press reports. |
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| Jun 20 2005 | Pujols hit his 18th homer of the year Monday night against the Reds. He also had two RBI and scored three runs, pushing his league-leading total to 56. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This just in ... he's good. |
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| Jun 6 2005 | Pujols was named the NL's co-player of the week Monday, sharing the honor with Washington's Nick Johnson. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols hit .458 with three homers for the week, as he continues to stalk Derrek Lee in most of the Triple Crown categories. |
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| Jun 2 2005 | Pujols went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's game against the Rockies. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols' stolen base was his fourth of the season. Pujols has never stolen more than five bases in a season, but now appears well on pace to shatter that mark. Potentially stealing double-digit bases would add even more value to Pujols, already arguably the most valuable player in fantasy baseball. |
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| May 14 2005 | Pujols will get the day off on Sunday against the Mets, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With the Cards also off on Monday, Pujols will have two days in a row to rest. |
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| May 9 2005 | Pujols went 2-for-2 with two homers and four RBIs against Odalis Perez on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has absolutely owned Perez in his career. He is now 8-for-12 with 12 RBIs against him. "Some guys you probably won't be able to get a hit, some guys you're going to hit it well," Pujols said. "Still, he's a great pitcher. I think he threw a good game besides making a couple of mistakes on me." |
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| May 7 2005 | Pujols went 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the season on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: A day after seeing his 16-game hitting streak come to an end, Pujols decided to start another one. He's batting .336 for the year. |
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| May 6 2005 | Pujols went 0-for-3 in Friday's contest against the Padres, ending his 16-game hitting streak. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols batted .407 during the streak with three home runs. |
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| May 4 2005 | Pujols collected a pair of singles against the Reds Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has hit safely in 67 of his 76 career games against the Reds. He is now half way to reaching his 30 game hitting streak from 2003. |
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| May 2 2005 | Pujols extended his hitting streak to 13 games Monday as he went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is now hitting .333 on the year. He has started all 23 games this season for the Cardinals. |
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| Apr 26 2005 | Pujols was 3-for-5 Tuesday, with a pair of two RBI doubles, increasing his season total to 15. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has now reached base in 26 straight regular-season games. His three hits Tuesday raised his average to .311. |
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| Apr 24 2005 | Pujols slugged his fifth homer of the year Sunday, a two-run shot off Brandon Backe in first inning. He has now reached base in 25 straight games dating back to last season. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols went 1-for-4 in the game and now has 11 RBI on the season. |
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| Apr 20 2005 | Pujols hammered his fourth homer of the season off Carlos Zambrano in a losing effort on Wednesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols went 1-for-4 in the game. He is batting .283 on the year with eight RBI. |
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| Apr 12 2005 | Pujols has not struck out since the beginning of spring training, a span of 101 at-bats. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is only batting .250 with one home run so far this season. Pujols owners, there is no need to freak out just yet. His numbers are bound to come around. |
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| Apr 2 2005 | Pujols didn't strike out this spring, a span of 68 plate appearances. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He hit .458 (27-for-59) with six home runs and 20 RBI in 21 games. More importantly, he hasn't had any injury setbacks with his heel. |
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| Mar 22 2005 | Pujols (heel) has yet to strike out in 39 plate appearances this spring and is batting .343 with four home runs and eight RBI, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols is looking ready to go. If his heel is still causing him pain, it is not evident. |
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| Mar 7 2005 | Pujols (heel) knocked two homers and drove in four runs against the Marlins on Monday. He is 5-for-8 so far this spring, all of his hits being for extra bases, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: So far this spring, it doesn't seem like Pujols' heel is bothering him too much. It still remains a possibility that the pain will cause him to miss some time during the year, but we'll have to wait and see. At this point in time, you shouldn't hesitate to still consider Pujols as one of the top three selections in your draft. |
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| Feb 20 2005 | Though Pujols has no plans to take it easy during spring training, his running might be restricted because of a foot injury that bothered him much of last season, the Associated Press reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Pujols has chronic plantar fasciitis, a condition that affects him most when he runs the bases, though the injury didn't stop him from posting nice numbers last year. "The injury will be in the back of my mind, and I want to be smart about it," Pujols said. "If it comes to the point that I am going through the pain that I went through last season, I don't think I can do it. I'll have to take some time off." The Cardinals plan to monitor how much running Pujols does this spring, and he may sit out some drills. At this point, it's premature to downgrade Pujols, but this is certainly a situation worth closely monitoring leading up to your drafts and auctions. |
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