Angels slugger Albert Pujols has undergone surgery to “release the plantar fascia on his right foot,” according to a team press release. Per the surgeon, a return to the field may be expected in about four months — which would mean Pujols may be ready to return to action near the start of the ensuing season.
The decision to go under the knife comes as a surprise given the indications given previously, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register notes on Twitter. It’s certainly additionally concerning given that Pujols required surgery to address plantar fasciitis in the same foot last fall.
Despite the procedure last year, Pujols did manage to play a full season, though he was also limited to DH duties in 123 of the games in which he played — nearly doubling his previous high. The Halos do have C.J. Cron available at first, where he spent much of 2016.
The procedure raises yet more questions about Pujols, a surefire Hall-of-Famer who just doesn’t produce like he used to. While there’s still plenty of pop in the bat — he has hit 71 home runs in the past two seasons — Pujols is no longer reaching base at even an average clip; since the start of 2015, he owns a .256/.315/.469 batting line that is steadily above league average, but hardly a major boon given his increasing defensive limitations and poorly rated baserunning.
All things considered, the $140MM owed to Pujols over the next five seasons seems as onerous as any commitment in the game. Even if he’s able to stay on the field and maintain (or slightly improve upon) his recent output, that’s an enormous sum of money for the kind of player he now is, particularly given the flood of one-dimensional sluggers available for much lesser obligations on the open market.
Hopefully he gets better soon!
Albatross
Pablo Sandoval?
It is yeah, but at least he’s putting up numbers a clean up hitter is expected
damn there goes my dh in fantasy til May
It’s so crazy that his OPS hasn’t been over .800 in 4 seasons, yet his career OPS is still .965.
He needs to average 34.2 HR a year over the next 5 years to catch Bonds. He could do that.
Praise be to Albert Pujols, one of the greatest hitters any of us will ever see. Here’s hoping he’s got a couple of turn-back-the-clock years in him, so we get a last little taste of his greatness.
He also needs 96 RBI a year over 5 years to catch Aaron, and 38 doubles a year to catch Speaker. That’s like, not impossible for him, especially hitting behind Trout.
He fell flat on his face though…quickly.
Career OPS+ of 157
Career WAR of 101.1
Pretty crazy when your WAR is also an FM classic rock station.
His career OPS is that high because from 2001-09 there simply was no better player in the game. He dominated baseball in that time frame
I believe you mean from 2005-2009, because Barry Bonds was in his prime from 2001-2004
No from 2001-09 he was simply the best. And he did it the right way without the use of ped’s unlike bonds and A-Rod
Oh wow. Yeah because his OPS as an angel the past 5 years is .799. I mean just .001 more and its an entirely different story for him and the angels.
he’s pushing 40 so more and more injuries will occur.
“A return to the field may be expected in about four months” which would mean early April, not March.
Yes, that is what I was about to post. Early April.
Then again, Pujols has always been a quick healer. He even once returned from a broken bone in only about three weeks.
Anyone had this surgery done and any comments about the recovery? More asking for myself than AP but heck lets pretend so my comment is relevant.
Couldn’t have done the surgery two weeks to a month earlier? Probably didn’t want to shorten his cruise.
Thought the surgery to repair plantar faciitis last fall was on his left foot. Typically, from what I remember, you get the surgery done on a foot and it doesn’t have to be done again. The right foot flared up this season and was a much more recent issue, wasn’t it?
This says right foot: http://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/la-sp-angels-pujols-surgery-20151110-story.html
Not too worried. Old man Albert contributes with the bat but perhaps more importantly in the clubhouse. Contract is bad but the guy gives value to the team in more ways than one. Plus, Cron is turning into a really nice 1B, he’s come a LONG way with his plate discipline and defense. Dude was a top ranked defender last yr
Well said on Albert
Why would this clown wait so long to have his surgery? Typical move, by a bad organization.
Yeah, cause Al clearly postponed surgery just so he come close to missing the start of the season. And the organization was in cahoots with this sinister plan to spite the fanbase……
Good post!
@AngelsintheTroutfield: AP came out and shared he was hurting last year. I am questioning why the organization would wait so long for surgery, especially if he is gonna be out the next 4 months. Stop assuming and being so thin skinned.
Having plantar fasciitis doesn’t automatically mean you should just get surgery. Seeing if things improve or trying non-surgical solutions in the offseason a bit before opting for surgery isn’t “clown” behavior.
Except Albert has had this before and the last time required surgery. Furthermore, this has been ailing him for a couple months now with no change. Obviously nothing was healing, so Albert and team should have just went for the surgery the moment the season ended. OP has every right to question as to why Albert didn’t get this done right away.
Yeah cause a guys only concern when going under the knife is making it convenient for everyone else. It’s not like additional surgeries take a toll on the particular body part or anything. Albert is selfish…..
You have no idea what the circumstances are. I’ve known several people who had plantar fasciitis because of their years working retail. I’ve had symptoms as well. It creeps up on you. One minute you feel fine and the next minute you feel a great sting. It’s like a torn meniscus. You can walk on it for months and feel like you don’t need treatment, or like you don’t even have it. Then suddenly it goes out on you. Don’t assume that you know exactly what the situation is.
Drat, this means he’ll have to miss the World Baseball Classic again like he did in 2013 due to offseason surgery.
With Ryan Howard and A-Rod done is this now the very worst contract in baseball? Any other contenders?
so in the spirit of the guy on mlb who proposed trading mike trout for harper and giolita I say the angels are buried with that pujols contract,140 mill for next 5 years.trout’s 122 for the next 4 and it don’t look like there’ll be ready to win in that time frame so get those contracts off the books;Trout and Pujols to the yanks for ellsbury,gardner,sevorino,and a couple prospects.all in fun guys.don;t kill me
Never, by 2018 and 2019 the angels will have plenty of money to spend. Including giving extensions to Calhoun and Richards. Trout is not getting traded period.
I believe the Angels will eventually need to trade Trout. I don’t see him resigning with this organization. I’d hope this organization would not allow him to walk away and receive nothing in return.
You need to take a closer look at a high market team’s payroll before saying that team is buried. The Angels were just under the luxury tax in 2016 so if you take Albert’s contract off the books they still have between $169-165 million on their payroll towards the tax. Big contracts are a poor excuse. The Cubs had the third highest payroll in baseball. They may have gotten very lucky with so many young players panning out and helping them win a champion, but eventually they’ll have to pay those players as well. On top of the Heyward contract.
*$160-$165
Yes, but the Angels were indeed buried last year. They had big holes at 2nd base and left field and a pretty mediocre starting rotation, yet they had no money available to do anything about them. If they had had a cheaper player to play 1B/DH alongside Cron, they would’ve been able to fill at least one of those holes. This offseason, they look to be in somewhat better financial shape, but they still have a very tight budget to work around.
Glad he waited until December to have this procedure done and not right after the season ended so he could be ready to go for Spring Training.
Exactly! That’s the Angels organization for you… Flipping clown show.
What’s wrong with a guy saying “I really don’t want to have multiple surgeries on my foot. Let’s wait until we’re 100% positive that it’s necessary before committing to this thing again.”
Seems perfectly reasonable to me. There is more to Pujols’ life than baseball….
Pujols fan here and I live near St. Louis, but at this point he needs a personal plantar fasciitis doctor.
it is possible he finishes his career with the Yankees or Red Sox?
Interesting thought. Anything is possible. One benefit would be that, unlike Miggy in Detroit, the recipient would likely not need to give up nearly as much in a trade apart from cash. While it still comes with its risks, in my opinion, it’s better than signing Beltran- something that both teams considered. Pujols clearly isn’t the same hitter he was, but appears to still be capable of a 25 home run, 80 RBI floor with room to succeed towards 30 homers and 100 RBIs or better given the offense of a team like the Red Sox and his stats of late. I still believe the Yankees sign EE so I would cross them out, but who knows- Pujols is owed 140 million over 5 years with 20+ in potential bonuses- if the Red Sox paid something like 90 million and threw in prospects not named Moncada, Benintendi, or Devers it’s possible. At that point, though, they would probably just as soon sign EE or find some other alternative. I, personally, like the idea as a fan of Pujols and Red Sox as well as being from the St. Louis area, but not sure if it’s a move they make at his age and cost.