Opening Day 2016 is suddenly in question for Albert Pujols, as the Angels announced this evening that the veteran slugger underwent foot surgery last week and won’t be able to resume full baseball activities for four and a half months.
According to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, the surgery involved the repair of a plantar plate on his right big toe. Pujols served exclusively as a designated hitter for the final month of the season while dealing with the injury. He’s on track to be sidelined through about mid-to-late March, so there’s a chance he could miss the start of next season.
Pujols reached 40 home runs this season for the first time since 2010, but he had new career-lows with a .244 batting average and a .307 on-base percentage. The Angels still owe him $165 million through 2021.