It has been a tough row to hoe for Mr. Pujols this season.
As a lifelong Cardinals fan, I knew that he didn’t have a sprained wrist as they reported yesterday after his collision at first base.
A CT scan and MRI revealed a fracture in his left forearm this morning. After seeing him writhe around on the ground yesterday, you had to figure the injury was of such a nature. Regardless of how you feel about him, he’s as tough as nails. When he rolls around on the ground–rarely–something is very wrong.
For fantasy owners, this is bad news. After an uncharacteristically slow start, Pujols had begun to swing as sweet as his first 10 years in the league, pushing his batting average back toward the .300 mark and producing power numbers that were more Pujolsesque.
This will obviously mean that there will be no AP5 in the All-Star Game, or at any of the festivities such as the annual Home Run Derby.
This contract year has proven to be nothing less than a challenge for a player who is widely considered one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball. Because his hitting has been record book material since his rookie season, his defense is often unsung–he has started at both 1st and 3rd this season, and is a two-time Gold Glove winner on the first base side. He’ll certainly be missed in the Cardinals lineup and on the field.
Perhaps, he’ll take a little time to think about inking a deal over All-Star break so he can come back in late July without the added pressure, and desire to push too hard. Ultimately, the Cards are contenders this season, and if he and David Freese can get back into the lineup for an August and September push, the Redbirds could enjoy a nice run into the playoffs.
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