Albert Pujols hobbled again, leaves game with hamstring tightness
An already scuffling Los Angeles Angels offense may have suffered another setback on Wednesday when Albert Pujols was forced to leave their 6-3 win over the Oakland A’s with a left hamstring injury.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary as Pujols softly lined Dan Otero’s 1-2 pitch into center field for a single, or even as he left the batter’s box. However, a few steps up the line it became clear something was wrong with his left leg.
Here’s how MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez described it.
Pujols screamed in pain while jogging halfway down the first-base line after a bloop single off Dan Otero and was immediately checked on by the Angels’ training staff. The 35-year-old seemingly felt better after some loosening his leg and doing some stretching exercises, but exited nonetheless.
Somehow, that sounds both troubling and reassuring at the same time.
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There was the obvious moment where Pujols felt the pull. That neither looked nor sounded good based on the video tape and the reported audio from Oakland. However, that he reportedly felt more comfortable leaving the field likely indicates there’s no significant damage, and that he may only require a few days rest.
The Angels report seems to support that line of thinking as well.
Though Pujols is obviously not the dangerous hitter he once was, he’s still an important cog for an Angels lineup that has quickly thinned. With Howie Kendrick traded to the Dodgers during the offseason and Josh Hamilton now officially headed back to Texas, there’s very little left in terms of experienced and proven run producers to support Mike Trout.
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It goes back to the question we asked about Pujols and the Angels before the season. Could he possibly get back to being an elite run producer if healthy for another full season? If not, where will the Angels make up that lost production Pujols was brought in to fill? It puts pressure on guys like David Freese, C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun, and it’s anybody’s guess how they’ll respond.
It’s a tough spot for the Angels to be in, but sometimes that’s what being overly aggressive in free agency can do to your roster. It means general manager Jerry Dipoto will constantly be searching for answers, while the team continues paying Albert the near $189 million he’s still owed through the 2021 season.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
