WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Minutes after Albert Pujols smacked the primary hit of his second act with the St. Louis Cardinals, he acquired a textual content message saying his spouse’s mind surgical procedure was a hit.
As Pujols was on the brink of make his spring coaching debut, his spouse, Deidre, posted on social media late Tuesday that she was getting ready to endure surgical procedure to take away a mind tumor found in October.
Pujols signed with St. Louis and arrived in camp on Monday realizing his spouse was prepping for what medical doctors instructed them was comparatively routine surgical procedure.
“But any time you open your scalp and your head, you are always concerned about it,” he stated Wednesday. “You trust the doctor that they have that wisdom and that gift. As much as we take swings in the cage, they do surgery.”
Noting that Deidre’s mom and household have been there to help her, Pujols does not plan to go away camp early and return to California to be along with his spouse. He may head to see her through the off days between the top of camp and the beginning of the season.
The Cardinals and Pujols agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract, giving him an opportunity to finish his profession within the place the place it began. After a decade in Los Angeles, he returns to St. Louis with 679 profession dwelling runs.
Pujols stated he has at all times been in a position to compartmentalize baseball and life.
“I think about it, but when it’s time to lock in, I focus on what I need to do,” Pujols stated. “Yes, my thoughts and my prayers are with Didi and my family.”
Pujols performed the primary 11 years of his profession in St. Louis, profitable World Sequence titles in 2006 and 2011. The Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months in 2001 hit at the least .300 with at the least 30 homers and 100 RBIs in every of his first 10 seasons with the Cardinals.
He signed a 10-year, $240 million deal in 2012 with the Angels, who waived him final Might whereas he was hitting .198. He signed with the Dodgers, for whom he hit 12 homers and drove in 38 runs in 85 video games.
Pujols’ first at-bat since returning to St. Louis got here with the bases loaded and no outs within the prime of the primary in opposition to Washington pitcher Anibal Sanchez.
“No pressure, right?” Pujols stated.
With the stage set for a storybook return, Pujols did what he is finished greater than some other participant in baseball’s historical past: He grounded right into a double play. Together with being one of the crucial feared hitters in historical past, Pujols has hit into 413 profession twin killings.
A foul out to 3rd adopted an inning later.
Pujols lastly broke the ice within the fourth, smacking a line drive to the best facet by a gap created by an infield shifted for him to drag.
“It feels good to be back in a real game,” Pujols stated. “I feel competitive facing big league pitching.”
Pujols does not anticipate to be within the Cardinals’ lineup on Thursday, but when all goes effectively, he’ll play Friday in opposition to the New York Mets.
In some unspecified time in the future earlier than St. Louis breaks camp, Pujols will play first base in a recreation, supervisor Oliver Marmol stated.
Pujols believes he’ll be capable to fine-tune his swing within the batting cage — one thing he’d be doing throughout a standard spring coaching anyway.
“He’d like to get some at-bats in before we break here, but playing every day is probably not in the mix or needed for him feeling ready,” Marmol stated.
