Pujols May End Up On DL With Sore Foot

Albert Pujols may land on the DL after aggravating his foot on Friday night. He returned to Southern California to be evaluated by his doctor.

The Angels superstar has plantar fasciitis in his foot and opted out of off-season surgery that cuts the ligament to relieve inflammation. Doctors said if the ligament tore on its own no surgery is necessary, but it could sideline Pujols for the rest of the season.

After Friday’s game, manager Mike Scioscia said the foot has been more sore this season, and Pujols did not feel better after four days off for the All-Star break. He has been the designated hitter in 65 of the 99 games and is hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs.

The Angels struggle against left-handed pitching and could struggle even more without Pujols. From the Los Angeles Times:

“We’ve been struggling against left-handed pitching this year, but losing a guy like Albert isn’t narrowed to just that scope,” Scioscia said. “He’s the foundation of the lineup, a guy you want to build around. We’ll shift Mike into the three-hole and see when Albert is going to be back.”

Pujols still has eight years left on his 10-year, $240 million contract.