Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols has had surgery on his right foot and will be in a race to recover in time for his team’s 2017 Major League Baseball season-opener on April 3.
Pujols, 36, played through injury in 2016, belting 31 home runs and 119 runs-batted-in in 152 games.
But he had surgery on Friday to release his plantar fascia, the ligament connecting the heel to the toes, and the recovery period is expected to be at least four months.
If he has any setbacks he could miss the start of next season.
“I would imagine he’s frustrated and I can sympathize with that frustration,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler told the Los Angeles Times. “The mark of an elite athlete is dealing with those obstacles. He embraces challenges. I would imagine he’ll do the same in this scenario.”
Pujols’ 591 career home runs rank ninth in major league history. He is 18 homers behind Sammy Sosa for eighth place.
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