After a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Angels, Albert Pujols will miss the rest of the season with a plantar fasciitis injury.
The Angels record is at 55-68 record (entering Mondays game), good for fourth in the American League West and Mike Trout is also injured. Though Pujols was hoping to play again before the 2013 ended, yet the medical staff recommended the slugging first baseman to shut it down for the rest of the year.
Pujols said “It’s not an easy decision, as competitive as I am. But I also understand that we (need) to look beyond the season.”
Through 99 games this year, he had a .258 average with 17 home runs and 64 RBI. Noticeable during the season has been the dip in batting average and yet over the past six seasons he’s seen a decline. Pujols, who is 33, is past his prime, and this decline isn’t too surprising. It’s a little surprising that his average has declined substantially and one reason at least for this season has been the injury he’s tried to play through.
In the 2012 offseason, Pujols signed a whopping 10-year, $240 million dollar deal with the Angels. After he signed with the franchise, he’s had some of the worst seasons of his career.
Unless the Angels make a miraculous comeback and enter playoff contention, Pujols made the right decision. He would only return for the last two weeks of the season, so it’s a better decision to rest and not play for nothing. He needs the rest to rebound in 2014, proving his dominance in the majors isn’t over yet.