Albert Pujols said repeatedly over the last three weeks that he wanted to return from his foot injury at some point in September. It does not appear that that will happen, though, as the Angels announced Monday that Pujols will wait until next season to get back in the lineup.
Pujols, who partially tore his left plantar fascia last month, only played 99 games this season ‘ the fewest he has played in a season in his career. The 33-year-old, who signed a $240 million contract through 2021 prior to last season, said the plan to sit for the rest of the season made sense with the Angels unlikely to make the playoffs.
‘It was a decision of the organization, [owner] Arte [Moreno] and [GM] Jerry [Dipoto], because I don’t make a decision here,’ said Pujols. ‘I put my uniform on and get ready to play. They said, ‘This is what’s best for the organization in the long run,’ and they came and brought it to me. And I just told them, ‘Whatever you guys want to do, I’m all for it.’ It’s definitely hard, as I want to be out there, but I also understand that I can’t be selfish and put myself out there.’
It has been a tough season for Pujols, who was batting a career-low .258/.330/.437 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs. The three-time MVP had played 65 games at designated hitter this season, which is the most he has played at DH in his career.
With only 101 hits this season, Pujols failed to reach 150 hits in a season for the first time in his career — which is tied for the third-longest streak in MLB history. He has 492 career homers and 1,498 RBIs in his 13-year career.