The Angels announced today that first baseman/DH Albert Pujols will head to the 10-day disabled list with left knee inflammation. Outfielder Michael Hermosillo was sent out on optional assignment, with infielder Jose Fernandez and outfielder Jabari Blash coming up to the MLB roster.
Odds are that Pujols is just getting a little extra rest. Unless and until there’s any indication to the contrary, it seems fair to assume that the team is simply taking advantage of having an away series against a National League opponent followed by the All-Star break.
Certainly, there were no evident ill effects last night, when Pujols drove two balls out of the yard. He has been more useful with the bat this year than last, with a .251/.291/.432 slash line in 368 plate appearances, but the once-great hitter is still not showing signs of delivering anything approaching production commensurate with his massive contract.
partyatnapolis
“another one bites the dust” plays in the background
ThatBallwasBryzzoed
He his 43 after all.
skip 2
Not that old I thought he was 53
deweybelongsinthehall
This should be stopped. There should be a requirement to submit medical evidence or even an independent exam. 10 day DL perhaps should be raised back to 15. If not permanently, what about just leading up to the all star break?
cakirby
He’s 38. His whole lower half is probably sore all the time. Soreness is a reason people go on the DL a lot. If he was probably going to be rested for a day anyway, that would be a medical reason.
deweybelongsinthehall
I don’t disagree necessarily but the 10 day DL has in my view been abused with this the latest and most obvious apparent incident. He looked old but not injured rounding the bases yesterday and age is part of the roster construction.
Long Duc Dong
Damn I hope this does not turn into a TJS
HaloShane
This is a blessing, now play the best 1B in the organization in Matt Thais.
cakirby
There’s no reason to bring him up for 1 series.
HaloShane
Cakirby, I’d bring Thaiss up for the year and release AP. AP has ZERO trade value, and you have to pay him one way or the other. If your gonna pay him at least put the best team and the future on the field. This season is over PERIOD
matanzas1962
He has hit 16 HR and has 52 RBI which Leads the Team. Trout has 50. Where in the hell are you going to get a guy to do that? This is a temporary rest!
HaloShane
Understand this season is done and this team needs to look to the future. AP is nothing special. What special is Trout always on base in front of him. That’s this teams problem, they live in the past rather than growing to the future.
cakirby
Hahahaha
fisher40
AP nothing special? Arguably the greatest hitter and run producer of his generation… leads his team in RBI… but yet, your right AP is nothing special
HaloShane
Without a doubt, he could retire today and I’d vote him into the HOF as a Cardinal tomorrow . As an Angel…. one could argue the worst contract in baseball history. Just look at AP stats as an Angel. Now take Trouts .475 obp away from AP and we really have the .240 hitter looking bad.
jdgoat
It’s 2018, who gives a crap about RBI’s?
Cam
Ever considered that Trout doesn’t have more RBIs than Pujols, because he doesn’t have a Trout hitting on front of him?
rez2405 2
Stating “Worst contract in history” is just making yourself look atupid..
Ironman_4life
And hes having another “down “ year. Lmao. Ill take pujols at 50% any day of the week.
JKB 2
HaloShane you ARE arguing AP was the worse contract in history. You put it in writing! It shows what you know. Zero.
alt2tab
The guy (Taylor Ward) with a 1.007 OPS in AAA says hello
cakirby
He’s not a first baseman…
darkstar61
He will be
cakirby
He’s been great defensively at 3B this year and has a great arm. Idk why you’d think he would better at 1B.
alt2tab
Put him at third and throw Valbuena over at first. Or Matt Thaiss since we’re basically playing for 2019 at this point
Go Angels
Angels should just release Valbuena. He’s the worst player on the team whose getting consistent playing time.
Sdgilly12
Jared Walsh and Jose Rojas are at/above Thaiss’ skill level. they just aren’t afforded the opportunity he is because the Angels don’t have the same financial commitment put into those two.
angelsinthetroutfield
Would like to see Thaiss up sometime this year but there’s no room right now. Hes not on the 40-man and with Albert/Fernandez/Marte/Valbuena on there the 1B quota is more than fulfilled
HaloShane
There is room. This team is going nowhere, believe me…. there is room.
Bart
The team is like a HaloShane Saturday night: Going nowhere.
rez2405 2
Ha!
nmendoza7
that .291 in the middle is so depressing.
ryanw-2
The further you go down in any lineup, the fewer runs you get. High OBP is at the top of a lineup for a reason.
mlb1225
This has to be a record for # of players on The DL all at once, or at least # of players to land on DL at least once in one season.
cakirby
If it isn’t, they’re certainly close. I think the only players that haven’t been injured are Valbuena, Upton, and Anderson (other than the pen guys that haven’t been around for most of the year). Trout hasn’t gone on the DL, but was injured for a week.
mlb1225
Was Simmons on The DL once this season?
bross16
He was out for a month
mlb1225
Simmons this season? I looked at his game log, and he only missed 10 days in June.
cakirby
He was out for about 2 weeks.
Go Angels
Also Parker, Noe Ramirez, Bedrosian, Maldonado, Barria, and Alvarez (not including guys who’ve been on the shuttle from AAA all year).
dipsanddingers
Jose Fernandez link is wrong. Very depressing to open that one up
Thomas Walker
I was watching a video of him the other day. Miss watching him pitch. Imagine how good he would have been.
stevewpants
He would have turned 26 at the end of the month. In this world some people pay a much larger price for the same mistakes that a lot of us made.
melj
For the Team Number fourth in games played, tied for 4th in runs scored, third in hits in doubles and in homers and BA, and first in RBIs (which is what he is supposed to do),
He is not great anymore, but he is still good, and he is good while hurting every day.
Step off, naysayers.
darkstar61
If he was 1st in games played/PA he’d probably be 1st in Hits, Runs, etc. That’s because playing time = accumulated numbers, even when the rates are atrocious. And ohh are those rates atrocious on him
As far as RBI, he hits 4th behind the greatest player of this generation – his RBI should honestly be much higher than they even are considering it’s one of, if not the best RBI spot in the entire game.
matanzas1962
He has been hitting 5th lately and has started to hit the ball out the park to right center. Now tell me who you can guarantee that can drive them in?
darkstar61
You can put nearly anyone behind a guy with an almost 50% OBP and they will drive him in a ton of times.
But let’s put it this way. Ian Desmond has a few less PA than Pujols. Desmond has the same SLG as Pujols. Desmond doesn’t bat behind Trout though, he bats 6th/7th/8th – and yet Desmond has more RBI than Albert.
Melvin McMurf
Every time Albert is mentioned, it reminds me of this interview:
articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/06/sports/la-sp-0407…
Bubba 5
I would probably be injured of sick if Scocisia was my MGR. He is HORRIBLE
Nbaer80
Boy did the Cardinals dodge a bullet by AP going to LA or what! AP’s contract has to be one of the worst in MLB history
angelsfan4life
Chris Davis, Josh Hamilton, Jason Heyward, Carl Crawford, Gary Mathews Jr and Mo Vaghn. All have Pujols beat.
jdgoat
Nope. Pujols is the worst. Heyward at least provides value to the Cubs. The rest don’t approach the length and salary of Pujols. It’s not even really close
angelsfan4life
Crawford was a 7 year deal. Jason Warth was even worse than Pujols contract. Pujols deal was, about getting the biggest TV possible for the Angels. All the other players, were just teams over spending on border line All Star players.
HaloShane
Concur JDGoat.
rez2405 2
Nope to your nope. Even this year Albert is producing a positive WAR
You can claim WAR is a stupid stat now
HaloShane
Ha! No they don’t Angelsfan4life. AP is without a doubt the worst contract in MLB history.
Boogaloo
Should be fun watching him in 2021 when trout is gone.
Better start the rebuild now or end up whe the orioles are.
HaloShane
FREE Mike Trout!
rez2405 2
Resign trout
fasbal1
He hurt himself running the bases on the 2 bombs he hit the night before